A Minecraft Epic
by Jet556
Summary: Inspired by countless animations. Return to the spectacle and glory of another age, of bigger than life heroes and beyond evil villains as you read the tale of a prince who fought against his usurping Ender Dragon worshipping cousin to save lovers in a dangerous time, avenge his father and regain his throne before the Nether invades. Prepare to have your buckle swashed!
1. The Redstone Throne

**Welcome everyone. This story is what it is. Making Minecraft personas into heroes that are larger than life or villains that are more than evil. Inspired by some countless animations, some you may well know. As I am the author, the first persona shall be my own BryanCroiDragon or in this case Bryan Croi-Dragon, literally Bryan Dragon-Heart. Other characters are based off of skins that I have created. Instead of basing Martin the Great's voice on my actual late dad's voice, I instead based it off of Brian Blessed's. Hence the all capitals in his lines. Likewise instead of Thomas' voice being based on my actual cousin's I based his more on Brian Cox's. In reality the my dad sounded more like Ed O'Neill and my cousin sounds more like Mel Blanc as Bugs Bunny. Other personas will not be accepted until after the fifth chapter. Enjoy and review.**

 **The Redstone Throne**

Redstone seemed like a most curious thing to make a throne out of. Yet still Martin the Great; King of Oshawood, Duke of Blackthorn and Cobblehill, Count of Ontario, Vernadale and Taonto or in short the Ontarian Emperor; had made such a throne. There was room for him and his queen on it, once he had passed on and his son Bryan "Croi-Dragon" had ascended to the throne he and his queen, once he had one, would both sit upon the throne.

Thus did Thomas, the evil-hearted son of Martin's sister, look upon the throne that day in envy! A blond haired, white skinned fellow with a left eye long since gone white from a horrid injury while the right eye remained as blue as the left eye had once been. Wearing a suit of grey mail, a white tunic with a black T upon it and brown boots and gloves, Thomas was different from his red haired uncle and cousin whom had a red cross upon their tunics. He cared not for the people, only for himself and the favor that the Ender Dragon would heap upon him. He wanted gold, favor and power!

"YOU MAY LOOK, THOMAS, BUT DO NOT TOUCH!" Thomas turned and saw his uncle Martin, a brown eyed, bearded and mustached fellow with greying hair who had a golden crown upon his head. That crown… He wanted it!

"Yes, of course, uncle." Said Thomas, his voice deep and smooth. "I shall look and look alone." Until the day he finally became emperor. Then he may touch and touch the throne to his heart's content. "Where is my cousin, your son?"

"HE HAS GONE HUNTING!" Martin laughed a deep laugh. "AND TAKEN THE HOLY SWORD CONQUEROR WITH HIM!" Martin continued to laugh. "WHAT A SON! HE WON'T LET THE SWORD OF THE EMPEROR AWAY FROM HIM! BEST WAY TO KEEP IT SAFE FROM GREEN-EYED MONSTERS WHO WOULD WISH TO TAKE IT FROM THE RIGHTFUL HEIR!"

"Aye, the rightful heir." Muttered Thomas as he drew his iron sword. "But you forget something, uncle. Thomas I may have had one son but he has two grandsons and I shall not spend my days subservient to my cousin and his line."

And then Thomas struck. So struck the usurper, he the people would call Thomas the Traitor.


	2. Wotan and Fricka

**Welcome back everyone. Now, I'll admit the skin I made for Cloten on Nova Skin isn't the best looking of things but I ask that it remain what it is should you be inspired to do anything based on this story. For Cloten, I chose a James Cagney-like voice. My own voice has been described as deep, musical and British sounding. Ten points to everyone who can find an animation reference! Enjoy and review.**

 **Wotan and Fricka**

Running through the forest, a pig was pursued by two wolves. Wotan and Fricka, mates for life and wolves of Bryan Croi-Dragon, pursued the quarry that they and their master sought. The thrill of the hunt was in their blood, as was the thrill of the chase but yet the pig was unnaturally fast.

"Wotan! Fricka!" called Bryan. "Come on back! The day belongs to the pig not to us!" Wotan and Fricka came running back and were greeted by the prince knelt down with open arms, his black horse Bucephalus not far away. He wore a garb much like his father and in skin and hair he was similar. It was his eyes that were different however. His left eye was brown like his father's but his right eye was green like his mother's. Upon his head was a circlet of gold and the two wolves could not conceive a time ever coming when Bryan was wearing something upon his head that was not the circlet.

And then crashing through the brush came Cloten, Martin's jester. A being dressed in red and blue with disheveled hair and a face that only a mother could a love. His speaking voice was unmistakably rapid-fire and it was the one thing about him that Wotan and Fricka could abide.

"Stand up, my prince!" exclaimed Cloten, frightened at seeing Bryan down on his knees with the wolves licking his face.

"I will not! We shall stay here for a bit and rest." Said Bryan as he sat by a tree and took out the holy sword Conqueror, a diamond sword, to look at. "How old are you, Cloten?"

"Thirty-six."

"And do you know what happened the day I was born?" asked Bryan.

"Aye, Oshawood's northern neighbor fell… All those hostile mobs led by Herobrine they say." Replied Cloten. "They say your family is descended from Herobrine."

"That legend has too many versions and no one in my family can agree on which one." Stated Bryan. "Herobrine, the Ender Dragon, the Wither… Whichever it is, the legend says there is chthonic blood in my family."

"Which do you think you are descended from?"

"I don't know but it the Ender Dragon I fear the most." Stated Bryan. "Should I ever face her, I fear I shall see all my flaws reflected in her: my pride, my recklessness, my sensualism, my more violent nature… All the things my father is devoid of."

"Your cousin Thomas is all flaws!" commented Cloten. "A greedy bully is putting it lightly. Do not fear your four flaws being reflected in the Ender Dragon, Thomas' legion of flaws would be reflected far more." Cloten then had a sparkle of rhyme in one of his eyes, the one perpetually looking upward. "Martin and Joanne both have the same mother, one is a hero… So what is the other?"

"The new queen mother!" Bryan and Cloten both turned to see Thomas standing before them. Upon his head was the crown.


	3. No Honor

**Welcome back everyone. To know what the archers look like type in "Thomas' Soldier" on Nova Skin. Before you all get on my for Thomas being such a monster, me and my cousin are regularly in contact and he has told me to go all out with my persona's cousin. He wants Thomas to be the most memorable character in this. Enjoy and review.**

 **No Honor**

The sight of the crown upon Thomas' head caused Bryan to stand up with the holy sword Conqueror gripped so tightly that if he were the be killed each finger would have to be separately removed. So this villain had finally acted, taken advantage of the one thing Martin the Great never could have thought possible: the belief that an enemy could come from one's own family. Cloten had been aware of that flaw but yet Bryan had not. To Bryan his father had been perfect and in some ways he had been. Alas he simply could not have suspected that one from his own family would seek to usurp him.

"You perfidious swine, I'll alienate your cranium from your torso!" screamed Bryan, fully prepared to bring Conqueror swinging towards his cousin.

"Yes, please give me the sword." Said Thomas. "Just not like that. As you know, the crown isn't good enough. I need the holy sword Conqueror as well, I need the sword of emperors."

"Come and take it then."

"You with a diamond sword and me with an iron sword? I think not." As soon as Thomas finished speaking a group of archers surrounded Bryan, Cloten, Bucephalus, Wotan and Fricka.

"Wotan, Fricka, get out of here. We'll meet again later." The wolves left the spot, leaving the group. "Cloten, how far is your pig?"

"Ymir is not far away." Replied Cloten.

"Go then." Ordered Bryan. "We will meet again later." Cloten left to find his pig and thus it was just Bryan and Bucephalus surrounded by the archers. "So, cousin, it all comes down to this does. Me alone and you with some ten archers, I should have guessed you had no honor."

"What is honor to me?" asked Thomas. "I am the undisputed master of the underhanded deed."

"If you aren't much of one for honor then how are you for sport?" asked Bryan.

"I do like sport." Replied Thomas.

"Well, then… Ten second head start and then you and your archers pursue me?"

"Why not? Be warned I am a fast counter."

Thus did Bryan mount Bucephalus and ride away. Alas, Thomas was the kind of person who would skip some numbers. In this case he skipped two, three, four, five, six, seven and eight. So it was that the chase began.

Ten archers on horseback chasing after one person with their leader wielding an iron sword a safe distance behind them. That was what came riding into the village. That was what the villagers saw, all of them! Farmers, librarians, priests, blacksmiths, butchers children all! They all saw the rightful heir to the throne being pursued by his usurper cousin! It was then that they learned that Martin the Great, Founder of the Ontarian Emperor, was dead. The miner who had become an emperor, that had united nations, that had liberated them from a tyrant had been murdered by his nephew, the Lord of Scarborough, one who was as petty and as cruel as could be.

Upon seeing the evil-hearted Thomas ride in on his white horse, many of the villagers crowded him and pulled him down from his horse. Enraged by this Thomas swung his iron sword around to ensure that they stayed away from him.

While that happened, arrows flew at Bryan. Were they to hit him they would be death and Bryan would join his father. Bryan may have been outnumbered but this was by no means a small village. It was quite large, as villages go. Thus was he able to hide with ease but not too much ease with the archers looking for him!

At one point, one of the archers saw a white robe through a window. Was this Bryan or a librarian? Who was to say? The archer could see nothing but a white robe from the window. Was it a robe of Bryan's tunic? Still, this archer was the kind to take chances and so he loosed an arrow. It went through the window just as the figure moved away. Then the figure came back and there was a villager knelt down staring through the window at the archer. Who placed a window that low? And then a gift was given to the archer. A diamond sword in the back!

There was one archer gone. There was still nine more though.

Thomas had driven the villagers away from him and was approaching one of his archers from behind. That was then Wotan and Fricka appeared. Running forward the two wolves rushed at the archer's horse, frightening it and causing it to rear sending its rider falling off and onto Thomas' iron sword. Then did Wotan and Fricka flee so they might aid their master again.

Two archers were dead. Eight remained.

Now armed with a bow, Bryan made his way through the streets of the village on foot. A sword against a bow was suicidal. This would make this easier. Seeing one of the archers walking by, Bryan loosed his arrow only for the archer to stop and the arrow to fly right past his face and hit a nearby well instead.

"He's over here! Over here, King Tho—" The archer didn't get any farther. He was silenced by an arrow going into his neck, ending him as a traitor deserved to end.

That did it. Now they all knew where he was! Unless… He had seen a ladder going up to the roof of a nearby house. If all the archers were coming to him then he could pick them off easily.

Bryan ran over the house and up the ladder and found the reason there was a ladder going up to the roof. This house incomplete! There was only half a roof! Still, half a roof was better than no roof at all.

The seven archers came running into the area, loosing arrows at the rightful heir only for three of them to meet their end.

It was that that point that Thomas came walking into the square, for that indeed was where they were. Upon seeing him, Bryan pointed his arrow at his traitorous cousin. All of the archers pointed their bows at Bryan.

"Hold!" ordered Thomas and the archers lowered their bows. "Any last words, cousin?"

"Not for some time to come." Replied Bryan. "By the way, you've taught your men poorly."

"How would you prefer to die?"

"Old age preferably but in this case fighting you so I might get a chance to avenge my father, your uncle, and put an end to your reign of tyranny before it goes on for too long. If the state of Scarborough is anything to go by you are as terrible a ruler as they come."

"Fight me?" asked Thomas, both agog and aghast. He was eager to kill his cousin but if Bryan were to kill him would not Bryan soon die by the hands of the remaining archers? "You're mad!"

"I'm mad? More like you're scared!" taunted Bryan. "What's the matter? Afraid I'll do worse to your face than that chicken did, Thomas One-Eye?"

"IT WAS NOT A CHICKEN!" yelled Thomas, now more enraged than he had been when the villagers had pulled him from his horse. If there was one thing that triggered his rage more than anything, it was stating what had caused his scars and the blinding of his left eye in public. "IT WAS A SKELETON!" This was not impossible. The Lordship of Scarborough had been not a part of the Ontarian Empire until Thomas' usurpation. In fact when Martin the Great had run the hostile mobs out of the Ontarian Empire, many neighboring nations had an increase in hostile mobs: thrice the amount they normally would have had. Besides the flaw of not seeing a member of his own family as a threat, another of Martin's was not being able to consider the outcome of some actions. His driving out of hostile mobs had made him viewed as an idiot by those outside of the Ontarian Empire. Had he not simply destroyed the hostile mobs like anyone else would have there would not have been an increase in hostile mobs in the neighboring nations. If only Thomas' claim had not been a lie.

"It was a chicken or I'm a redstone bug!" countered Bryan. "I was there! I saw it with my own two eyes!"

"KILL HIM!" screamed Thomas. "KILL HIM!"

The archers loosed arrows at Bryan but not before Bryan loosed an arrow, killing yet another archer. Now there was only three.

Taking a moment to whistle for Bucephalus, Bryan quickly ducked and loosed a few more arrows this time missing the archers completely and, to Bryan's frustration, Thomas. They were getting better now and that was not good for him.

As Bucephalus came up, Bryan jumped down onto Bucephalus' back and rode out of town. The chase resumed but this time there was a change in how things were. Wotan and Fricka had chased away two horses, one had belonged to one of the archers. The other had been Thomas' horse. So Thomas took a horse from one of the other archers, much to that one's protest.

"But, your Majesty, that is my—" The archer did not get any farther. Thomas was as much a danger to his men as any enemy of his would be. He separated the archer's head from his body.

"I am Thomas!" said the Traitor to the cadaver. "I take what I wish! I took the Lordship of Scarborough from my father! I took the Ontarian Empire from my uncle! I'll take the holy sword Conqueror from my cousin! And now I took my horse from you, dead fool!"

Thus did Thomas join his men, having killed one of them and taken his horse! Let no mistake be that this is a villain, a blackguard as the archaic term for villain is.

When Thomas did join his men, they had cornered Bryan and Bucephalus. The horse was upon a cliff with the only thing behind it being a sheer drop into a lake. Smiling Thomas rode between his men and his cousin.

"Well, Thomas, it seems I have led a merry chase." Said Bryan. "May I ask that I let Bucephalus go unharmed?"

"What care I about a beast?" asked Thomas. "He may go, until I see him again and kill him for killing's sake." Bryan dismounted and Bucephalus walked away. "Now, give me the holy sword Conqueror."

"You certainly are a bastard, Thomas." Commented Bryan.

"Thank you, I do my best."

"And do you know what the noun 'bastard' is an alternative to?"

"No, what?"

"An informal term."

"Which informal term?"

"Dog." Stated Bryan. "Now go fetch!" And with that Bryan hurled the holy sword Conqueror into the lake.

Thomas dismounted and jumped after the sword while Bryan did the same. Once in the water, the two raced down after the sword. If only the two had not been equals as swimmers. They both reached Conqueror at the same time and so it was that they fought over it.

Ultimately, they both ended up with a part of the sword. Thomas ended up with the blade, two diamonds, while Bryan ended up with the hilt, a stick.

Bryan swam away and Thomas would have pursued had hunger not been a cause for him to stop. He'd get the stick another day. With two of the diamonds that Conqueror was made of, Thomas now had a better claim to the throne than his cousin did. Or at least, that was what the Traitor had thought.

Upon returning to the nether brick castle where the Redstone Throne was, Thomas found that only his men recognized him as the new Ontarian Emperor. No one in the court recognized Thomas as the rightful Ontarian Emperor. All they saw him as was what he was: a usurper, a glorified pretender to the throne.

So it was that a mass sacrifice happened to the Ender Dragon. The castle's court was nearly eradicated. Those who were not killed fled, either going into hiding or leaving the Ontarian Empire all together.

But what of Bryan? Where was he? He and Cloten had met up. Where were they now? They were sitting before a fire in the woods while it rained and thundered.

"Let me guess…" started Bryan. "You could not find Ymir."

"No, I could not find Ymir." Confirmed Cloten.

"Congratulations."

"Thank you."

"I'm starved." Groaned Bryan.

"Me too." Added Cloten.

"It's raining." Commented Bryan.

"It is raining." Agreed Cloten. At least they weren't the kind of people who couldn't agree on something even if it was happening. "If only you hadn't decided to go hunting today. You could have been there with your dad, helped him against Thomas! Now we have a Laurencian on the throne."

"If only I had been." Agreed Bryan. "They are a warm-hearted family the Laurencians, Thomas being the exception."

"Cold-hearted he is." Agreed Cloten.

"Or without one." Said Bryan. "I never would have guessed the long line of the House of Carthach would have been broken though."

"Broken?" asked Cloten. "Do my ears deceive me? Is this defeat I hear in your voice?"

"There is no defeat in my voice, Cloten." Replied Bryan. "It is just an observation. How long until the restoration of the House of Carthach? If only the House of Carthach had still only been in possession of a viscounty and a county. Then maybe Thomas never would have sought usurpation as a path in life."

"Suppose you and him never would have existed if the Ontarian Empire never came into existence."

"Or maybe we would have just been very different people."

"I have a hard time imagining Thomas as anything but a blackguard." Commented Cloten.

"As do I!" agreed Bryan. "Now where are Wotan and Fricka? Where is Bucephalus? And where is that pig of yours?"

"I suppose they should be around any minute now." Stated Cloten. And sure enough, they all were.


	4. The Rage of Thomas

**Welcome back everyone. Enjoy and review.**

 **The Rage of Thomas**

Sitting upon the Redstone Throne, Thomas stared at his men before him. There must have been fifty of them. If these weren't enough to find and kill his cousin then he didn't know what was.

"I am without a court!" spoke Thomas, his voice filled with as much anger as a volcano was filled with lava. "Those that were not sacrificed to the Ender Dragon have fled! Should my cousin ever get enough of a foothold to drive me off my throne they will come back to aid him. They cannot aid him if he has followed my uncle! WHO ESCAPES THE SOLDIERS OF THOMAS?"

"No one escapes the Soldiers of Thomas!" answered his men in unison.

"And yet my cousin has!" countered Thomas. "Already all of the Empire is talking about it! Our neighbors are talking about it! Miners from as far away as possible are talking about it! They are laughing at you and by extension me FOR WHOM DO YOU SERVE?"

"The Ontarian Emperor!"

"I will not allow myself to be laughed at! If Bryan Croi-Dragon is still alive by my coronation in fifty-one days I will be looking for replacements! WHOM IS YOUR QUARRY?"

"Bryan Croi-Dragon!"

"I want his head!" Or theirs if they should fail him!

"Your Majesty!" A lone soldier spoke up. "What of Queen Margaret? She fled!"

"Bring me her head as well! I'll place it next to my uncle's on the battlements!" answered Thomas. Such evil! Was this miner or the Wither in miner's skin? The thought of killing Queen Margaret was unthinkable. "Is this a look of hesitation I see on your faces? Do my soldiers hesitate?"

"No!" they all answered in unison.

"Then you shall kill my aunt!" Thomas stood up and held his iron sword aloft. "I WILL NOT BE DEFIED!"


	5. Order of the Creeper

**Welcome back everyone. As of this chapter, I will be accepting other Minecraft personas but I ask that you please send them to me via personal messages. Do not make reviews for this nothing but descriptions of personas. And please state if you want your persona to be a hero that is bigger than life or a villain that is more than evil. If you notice the references to CaptainSparkelz and Minecraft Jams, I congratulate you. Enjoy and review.**

 **Order of the Creeper**

Martin the Great was dead and in his empire in the hands of one who cared nothing about defending it. To the Zombie Pigmen, the Ghasts, the Magma Cubes, the Blazes, the Skeletons be they Wither or not, and the Chicken Jockeys this was an excellent time to invade. The Zombie Pigmen had their own plans for the Overworld and were unwilling to work with other hostile mobs but with the miner who had driven them of many lands ending their days of burning and pillaging now dead this was the perfect time for revenge.

And what of the Wither? Continually dying and being reborn there was no escape from the Wither. The Ender Dragon may be slain for good but there was no escaping the Wither. It had been slain by the prince of a fallen kingdom but always it would be back. Herobrine was dead, slain by that same prince, but there was no escaping the Wither.

There was one constant and that constant was that the Wither would always return. And so the question was would the Wither be appearing the day on the invasion?

Still, if the Wither would appear or not, the people of the Ontarian Empire had no idea of the invasion being planned.

Thomas would have done nothing to prevent the invasion if he knew anything about it. He cared very little about his subjects. They were just people to tax and sacrifice.

And Bryan? He would have done as his father would have: met the invasion and drive it back into the Nether. But alas, rightful heir or not Bryan Croi-Dragon was not in command of a large force to do such a thing. The day the invasion came would he have such a force to drive the hostile mobs back into the Nether?

However, invasion was not the only thing to worry about. Two groups whom Martin the Great had driven out, the Order of the Creeper and the Complimentary Associates had been brought back by Thomas' invitation.

The Order of the Creeper, as the name would suggest, was a group that used creepers. For what? To browbeat any who would not them do as they wished. They were a puissant armed agency allegedly allocated to the annihilation of the Nether but in actuality were a group of anarchists committed to the browbeating of any who wouldn't let them get their way and wallowed in the alarm they caused. Every member of this group had been a scapegrace as a child.

The Complimentary Associates on the other hand were an affiliation of condottiere. In contrast to the browbeating anarchists that were the Order of the Creeper, the Complimentary Associates were very much just acquisitive bought condottiere with money being the only thing on their minds. All they cared about was serving the highest bidder and with the ways Thomas was suddenly taxing the people there was no doubt about who the highest bidder was.

Which of these two were worse should be left up to the historians. No doubt there shall be much debating.

So it was that Bryan met one of these two groups. Which one? The browbeating anarchists!

He and Cloten rode into a small farming village and there the anarchists were. One of them was holding a banner with the image of the creeper on it. They were going through every house and just taking whatever they wanted.

"What are these?" asked Bryan. "Creeper-worshipping griefers?" Bryan knew who they were make no mistake. He knew of their pride, a shared flaw, and thus he wished to antagonize them by comparing them to common griefers.

Immediately every anarchist in earshot stopped and turned their heads at him. It was the cross on his tunic that identified him bringing a ray of hope to those whom the anarchists were stealing from however there were those who viewed him as a proud, reckless, sensual and violent boy. To the anarchists however, the cross was a reminder of he who had driven them out of the Ontarian Empire: Martin the Great, Bryan's father.

"Well, well." Said one of the anarchists. "Croi-Dragon, the son of the late Emperor. You're a fool showing yourself to us! Your cousin wants your head!"

"What's the matter with his own?" asked Cloten. "Not good enough? It is an ugly thing so I wouldn't blame him for seeking a better looking head."

"Maybe you lot can spare him a creeper head." Joked Bryan. "That should be an improvement!"

"Or an Iron Golem's!" added Cloten.

"Or how about an Enderman's?" asked Bryan. "If he worships the Ender Dragon might as well replace his head with one of her elite's."

There was laughter from the inhabitants of the village. Some were villagers and some were miners. The thought of Thomas with the head of a creeper, an iron golem or an Enderman's was just too humorous to imagine. Any of those heads would have been an improvement over Thomas' own.

The anarchists however were not in a mood for jokes. They merely drew their swords and advanced until held up his bow and pointed it at the chief anarchist.

"How many arrows do you have, boy?" asked the chief anarchist. "Enough to kill us all?"

"Don't need enough to kill all of you." Replied Bryan. "My father told me about your lot. You anarchists are milksops of the worst kind. The moment your leader is killed, you all go running back to your camp. You are really the only one I need an arrow for."

"We aren't the anarchists your father ran out." Stated the chief anarchist. "You kill me and you unleash anarchy."

"Sounds like fun." Bryan loosed his arrow and watched as it entered the shoulder of the chief anarchist. That was deliberate and the anarchist's knew it. What was Croi-Dragon up to? Everyone watched as the prince jumped from the back of Bucephalus and put his bow away. "Can those of the House of Carthach and their courtiers fight, Cloten?"

Cloten got off of his pig Ymir and smiled as he held up his fists. "All day and through the night!"

The chief anarchist only smirked. "Fools."

Battle was quickly joined between Bryan and Cloten and some ten anarchists, one of those then not holding an iron sword but the banner. Bryan quickly knocked down the one with banner and took that which he had been holding. Eight of the anarchists backed away in horror at the sight of an outsider holding the banner of their order one of those eight was quickly knocked out from a punch by Cloten and his sword now in Cloten's hand.

"Now, I'm on a more equal footing." Commented Cloten as he waved the iron sword around. "I'd make a fairly good swordsman, wouldn't you say so, Bryan?"

Bryan merely laughed at the sight of the horrified anarchists. "Indeed, Cloten! And look at this! Scared of an outsider holding their banner!"

The chief anarchist only glared from where he was standing, right behind Bryan, having tripped during the charge. "You swine!" He rose his sword, prepared to bring it down on the prince's unprotected head. He would have had an apple not come flying and hit the back of his head. The chief anarchist turned and saw a small boy. Bryan Croi-Dragon could wait. "You little square faced brat! I'll cleave your head in two!" He didn't even get two steps before he felt something hard and wooden come crashing breaking across his head just before he fell unconscious.

The rest of the anarchists all gasped in horror at the sight before the village. Bryan Croi-Dragon had struck the chief anarchist! And he just hadn't struck their leader with anything but with their own banner, now broken.

Bryan looked at the boy and smiled. "Thanks but don't make a habit of doing that." The boy smiled back and Bryan turned to the anarchists. "Now, get ye gone and take your companions with you!"

The anarchists did just that and soon they were gone. The inhabitants of the village then gathered around Bryan and Cloten, thanking them for their aid. For the prince who was still feeling grief from the death of his father, this in some small way lifted his spirits.

The boy's father, a fellow with beard and mustache, then approached Bryan. "Many thanks for saving my son from that thug, my king. Your traitorous cousin hosts a ruction tomorrow at Greenleaf with many cavaliers taking part. Will you take part in it?"

"You can make assurance double sure that I will." Stated Bryan.


	6. The Greenleaf Tourney

**Welcome back everyone. As I'm sure as you've seen from the renaming to include both dated and archaic terms for lover this has gotten you a new slot: larger than life heroes, beyond evil villains and lovers in a dangerous time. I like that song, shut up. The reason for this is being that Bryan Croi-Dragon's story is strictly fighting Thomas, saving people, regaining the throne to the Ontarian Empire and preventing the Nether invasion of the Ontarian Empire. He simply hasn't time for romance at the moment. This is intended to be my longest fan fiction yet at one hundred chapters and so instead of one couple I shall need quite a few to keep regular doses of romance in this since each couple will get their own story arc, it's the approach Hal Foster took when writing "Prince Valiant" after Valiant married Aleta of the Misty Isles. Now, this story shall also be taking a far more swashbuckling tone but me and my cousin are both in agreement that Thomas should meet an end fitting a Shakespearean villain, we just can't agree on what villain. I'm all for Macbeth but he wants something more like Claudius. By removing the drama bit from the genre, I can incorporate more of the slapstick of the Richard Lester Musketeers movies. So, we will have both drama and comedy in this. I was already going to put in some generous references to "Ivanhoe" so why not some other pieces of works? I hear this rather lengthy explanation. Also, to Jeff August, your OC is made, her skin is on Nova Skin and here you shall have her personality and strategy. By the way, everyone, that "Disowned Chevalier" is pretty much a blank slate for you all. Enjoy and review.**

 **The Greenleaf Tourney**

The Greenleaf Tourney. Held ever year since the founding of the Ontarian Empire by Martin the Great, it was now Thomas's means to see any cavalier who was for his cousin instead of himself dead. The tourney was such a thing of wonder. Every stand from which the great miners would watch the spectacle was made of acacia wood planks and each stand was with a canopy of a different colored wool.

The leader of those who were for Thomas was none other than the chief anarchist from the previous day: Abarta Turgot, the Knight of the Creeper as he was called. A man whose skin was as pale as his eyes and hair were dark! With both beard and mustache upon his face, as well as the uniform of the Order of the Creeper upon his person, he stood in sat upon his horse in stark contrast to Eustace of Whitby, the leader of Complimentary Associates.

With a skin tone closer to Thomas', brown hair and eyes and a garb consisting of mail, gloves, boots and a purple tunic Eustace looked less what someone would expect a mercenary leader to look like. Yet he certainly acted like how one would expect him to act. His mind was strictly on money and business. He was being paid to take part in this tourney and his business was to eliminate all those to loyal to Bryan Croi-Dragon.

Also there was Thomas' own general Waldemar Vipont. Sharing a similar hair and skin color to Eustace, Vipont was a black eyed man with both beard and mustache upon his face. Upon his head was a dark grey helm, over a shirt of a mail he wore a black shirt and on his legs he wore blue leggings. Griefer and oppressor ever he had been and it had been for good reason that Martin the Great had never allowed Vipont to every rule over a settlement. He was a brute and one could tell from his appearance, voice and the way he acted.

All the rest were Thomas' men, dressed in accordance and ready to kill.

From his stand, Thomas stared happily if such a thing from him could be called happiness. "Soon, all of the Ontarian Empire shall know what becomes of those who are for my cousin!"

Sitting next to Thomas was Aphrodite, a brown haired and blue-eyed girl in a white dress. She could not abide Thomas' company, very few could but she most of all could not at the moment. He had sacrificed her father, the chamberlain to Martin the Great.

"Then the Ontarian Empire shall know the usurper to be as oppressive as he is cruel." Commented Aphrodite, calmly but with enough aggression to let Thomas know her opinion of him.

"I am no usurper, I am the rightful heir! I am named for our grandfather, not Bryan. I am the rightful heir!"

"Bryan is the firstborn of Thomas I' firstborn." Stated Aphrodite. "He is the rightful heir."

"Be silent!" Thomas turned his head to look at all that were for Bryan. They were being lead by a Disowned Chevalier? Was that the best the followers of his cousin could muster as their leader in Bryan's absence? And then a feeling of dread dawned on Thomas. He had never known his cousin to miss a tourney. Where was he? Standing up, Thomas looked around. Was he in the stands somewhere? Was he amongst the miners who were not in a stand? Where was Bryan? Upon not seeing any sign of Croi-Dragon, Thomas sat down coming to the conclusion that the Disowned Chevalier was his cousin in disguise. "Turgot! Eustace! Vipont! I crave a word!" The three rode over and Thomas whispered his orders to them, Aphrodite watching with a suspicious look. "That's enough. To your places." The three returned to their places and Thomas then looked at Aphrodite. "What would your strategy be for surviving in the wilderness, Aphrodite?"

"To focus on building a shelter and then gathering food, Thomas. And yours?"

"That is enough. I will hear no questions from you!" Thomas had no strategy. He was kind who would wander endlessly.

Then the rules of the tourney were given. It was forbidden to thrust with the sword one could strike only. An ax could be used at pleasure but the bow was forbidden. Anyone unhorsed could continue the combat on foot. Anyone who broke the rules would be subjected to public ridicule and stripped of their shield.

And then it began! The two sides collided and the crashing together of two oceans! Such a battle had not been seen in these lands in years! None could stand against Turgot, Eustace and Vipont and neither could one stand against the Disowned Chevalier. Then the three circled around the Disowned Chevalier, attacking him at once.

"That is not fair!" objected Aphrodite at the sight of what she was seeing. "You must stop this at once!"

"Stop it?" asked Thomas. "By the darkness of the End I will not! The Ontarian Empire belongs to me, let all who are for Bryan learn that the hard way!"

A great gasp rang out at Eustace thrust his sword in the Disowned Chevalier's chest. Thomas merely smiled. What cared he for rules? He was the Ontarian Emperor! He could make and break rules as he wished and pardon any who broke rules.

All seemed lost. The Disowned Chevalier was outnumbered many of the followers of Bryan Croi-Dragon were defeated and all those who hoped for Thomas' defeat soon felt the fear of his tyranny in their hearts.

Then who should come riding into the field wearing a helmet with a red plume but Bryan Croi-Dragon himself! Thomas' eyes widened in shock! That was impossible! There could not have been two of him! Who was the Disowned Chevalier if it was not Bryan Croi-Dragon?

Bryan drew his sword and rode into the conflict! Vipont charged at him but as soon as their swords met, Vipont found himself falling from his horse. A great cheer rose up from all save for Thomas but the cheer soon fell as the Disowned Chevalier was once more stabbed in the chest, this time by Turgot. Bryan halted Bucephalus and stared with wide eyes at the breaking of the rules of the tourney. The charging Eustace then put an end to Bryan's shock. Eustace proved to be a better swordsman then Vipont. The first time their swords met, Eustace was still in the saddle of his horse. The second time however, Eustace was on the ground just as Vipont was. The cheering resumed and with now only one enemy to focus on the Disowned Chevalier struck Turgot's shield and down he went!

From his horse the Disowned Chevalier leapt and Turgot soon found a sword pointing at his neck.

"Yield!" ordered the Disowned Chevalier.

Seeing his defeat at hand, Thomas stood up. "Hold! Stop the conflict!" The conflict ended by the sounding of horns. Victory was for all true Ontarian hearts!

Bryan rode up to the Disowned Chevalier and the Chevalier held his sword aloft in salute. Bryan nodded at the Chevalier and then left, riding Bucephalus at full gallop while people cheered and yelled: "Long live Emperor Croi-Dragon!"


	7. The Conquering Hero Returns

**Welcome back everyone. Enjoy and review.**

 **The Conquering Hero Returns**

Into the farming village known as Adelaide did Bryan Croi-Dragon ride! Sitting at the town's well, telling stories to the children was Cloten. It was not until Wotan and Fricka went running up to their master did the jester-turned-squire know that Bryan had returned. Just not did the wolves greet the returning hero but the children soon did as well and finally Cloten arrived.

"I haven't had such a welcoming since my father and I returned victorious from the campaign against the Arctic Deep Empire." Commented Bryan, his helmet under his arm.

"You were victorious?" asked Cloten.

"Have you ever known me to lose?" Pride was in Bryan's voice. As soon as Bryan realized what he had said and how he had said it, he saw the image of the Ender Dragon appear in his mind. All his flaws reflected in her was what he feared he would see should he ever face her, she whom some say the House of Carthach was descended from. Bryan dropped his helmet and backed away with a look of shock upon his face.

"Something the matter, my emperor?" asked Cloten.

"I saw the Ender Dragon." Replied Bryan.

As soon as that name was spoken, the children all gasped. Cloten's expression as shocked as the one his master had.

"Where, my emperor?"

"In my mind's eye." Stated Bryan. "They say Carthach himself fought the Ender Dragon! They say he sent her retreating but died soon afterward. What would happen when the Dragon-Heart and the Ender Dragon fought?"

"You would win!" exclaimed one of the children.

Bryan just stared at the child. Would he? If Carthach could not slay the Ender Dragon could he possibly even have a chance of slaying her?

All the children stared at him. What was he to say? Here were these young faces looking to the rightful emperor. If he was to show doubt to them what would that tell them?

Banished from his face was that look of shock. Bryan straightened up and held his sword aloft.

"I would!" he said. "I would slay her and I would survive!"


	8. Long Live the Emperor!

**Welcome back everyone. I have yet to make a skin for Joanne so she shall go undescribed. Enjoy and review, and please send a persona if you've got one.**

 **Long Live the Emperor!**

"You call yourselves loyal to me?" asked Thomas, now at the head of the table in the dinning hall at Greenleaf Manor. Many of those who had been for him were there and sitting to his right was the lady Aphrodite. "We've lost the day thanks to you! My cousin's followers must be taught a lesson! My men defeated at the tourney I myself was hosting! How disgraceful!" Thomas stood up and drew his sword and walked around the table. "If any of you fools could even have conceived the Disowned Chevalier not being Bryan the lesser people wouldn't be mocking my name!" He may have told Turgot, Eustace and Vipont to focus on the Disowned Chevalier but to admit he made a mistake was beyond him. Thomas stopped walking and looked at one of his men. "I will not have the lesser people mocking my name!" Thomas brought his sword down on the soldier's head causing a rather awful mess at the dinner table. The moment Thomas was finished killing the man he looked up and saw a body with its face down sitting at the head of the table. Dropping his sword, Thomas gasped and backed away. "Who amongst you has done this?" Then the body lifted revealed itself as it leaned up. It was Martin the Great, his uncle and predecessor, pointing at him. "You cannot say that I have done it! Do not shake your gory locks at me!"

"Gentlemen, rise!" ordered Turgot. "Our Emperor is not well!"

"Sit, you fools!" retaliated Thomas. "It… Is merely a game, yes, a game! Nothing more, nothing less!" Why did they not see him? "Love and health to all, and to my dear uncle Martin the Great whom we miss." Martin took a cup and was about to drink when he saw his uncle's reflection in the water. "HENCE, HORRIBLE SHADOW! UNREAL MOCKERY, HENCE!" Thomas threw the cup across the dining hall.

"Do not fear your uncle's memory, my son!" spoke his mother Joanne as she entered the dinning hall. "Nor should you fear your cousin's popularity. It is you who are now the emperor."

"But if I should fall—"

"You fall? Screw your courage to the sticking place and you will not fall!"

"No… I will not! I will not fail! I CANNOT BE DEFEATED!"

"Good." Joanne smiled and pointed at the head of the table. "Now, take your place and let Aphrodite make a toast."

Thomas made his way to the head of the table and thus did Aphrodite stand up with cup in hand. "The Queen Mother has required that I make a toast. Nothing could be harder to do when there is nothing but depraved villains at this table. Thus will I make a toast to one not here! I make this toast to Bryan Croi-Dragon! Long live Bryan Croi-Dragon and may he be brought to the throne that is rightfully is! Love live the Emperor!"


	9. So Close

**Welcome back everyone. Yet again another title change! Why? Because the current one is too long and features words that are too dated or archaic for some people to understand thus with the simple title of "A Minecraft Epic" it will be short and people will know what it is. I'll need a change of synopsis though, maybe. Enjoy and review.**

 **So Close**

Aphrodite's toast to Bryan Croi-Dragon did not go well. Thomas ordered her to be burned at the stake before all of Greenleaf and so the scene was set.

The next day news came of what was to happen. As midday approached, Aphrodite was walked to the stake while Thomas stood with torch in hand. Once there, Aphrodite was tied to the stake.

"Any last words, Aphrodite?" asked Thomas.

"Only that I hope that I shall live to see the day when your cousin is on the Redstone Throne and you are nothing but a memory." Replied Aphrodite.

"That day will never come nor shall you live to see it!" Thomas then turned to the citizens of Greenleaf, his men between them and the stake. "Look upon this sight, all of you who are for my cousin! This is the fate that waits any loyal to him!"

"Hold! Let one speak!" Everyone turned and into the town square rode Bryan Croi-Dragon with Cloten by his side.

"You suicidal fool!" laughed Thomas. "You come here with just a jester! You're out numbered! You'll never rescue, Aphrodite."

"I did not come here to rescue her." Said Bryan.

"Ha! You see, you swine! This is the man you are for! He has not come to rescue she who toasted him!" sneered Thomas to the people.

"I have come to take her place." There was a gasp from all those who were for Bryan. Those who were Thomas looked most confused. "I would gladly give my life for any of my subjects. What is it you want? To kill she who toasted me or to kill me?"

From the balcony of Greenleaf Manor, Joanne stood. As Thomas began to consider this trade, she yelled out. "If you let him take her place you make a martyr of him! Kill them both!"

"Come now, cousin." Bryan stared at Thomas with a sly grin on his face. "I am not married. I have no heirs. If you kill me the threat to your place as Ontarian Emperor will cease to exist. Let me take her place. Do you want a war or do you want this done without a mess?"

"Do not do it, Thomas!" yelled Joanne. "He is trying to trick you! Kill them both!"

Thomas stared at his cousin. He was grinning, why was he grinning? He must have been trying to trick him!

"Leave!" ordered Thomas. "If you take her place you become a martyr! If I kill you with everyone here to see you fall you still become a martyr!"

"Do you fear me?" asked Bryan.

"Leave!" repeated Thomas.

"Answer the question!" demanded Cloten.

"Yes! Answer the question!" chimed in a miner.

"Answer!" yelled a villager.

Soon all who were against Thomas were yelling for him to answer the question. They would hear him say that he feared the rightful heir to the Redstone Throne.

"I fear nothing!" exclaimed Thomas.

"Nothing but chickens!" taunted Cloten.

"You dare mock me!" Thomas threw the torch upon the stake and then jumped down drawing his sword. "Kill them! Butcher them! Destroy them!" Thus began a donnybrook in Greenleaf the day after the tourney.

It mattered not what they were armed with. Be it a weapon of wood, gold, stone and iron all that were for Croi-Dragon fought against Thomas' men. Even if it was just with their fists, they fought back. If they had leather, chain, iron, diamond or no armor at all they fought back.

Over Thomas' soldiers, Bryan rode making his way to the stake. Leaping from Bucephalus onto the stand where the stake was, he freed Aphrodite before any ahrm could befall her.

"Get out of here!" ordered Bryan.

"What about you?" asked Aphrodite.

"I have accounts to settle with my cousin." He answered. "Quickly, get on Bucephalus!" Aphrodite got on the black horse. "Bucephalus, quickly! You know where to go!" Bucephalus quickly departed, with Aphrodite on his back. With Bucephalus and Aphrodite now gone Bryan jumped into fray, knocking some of Thomas' soldiers down. "Thomas! Show yourself, trespasser! Today you pay for the slaying you committed!"

From a crowd of fighters, Thomas walked with sword in hand. "So you won't leave."

"Of all men, just for you."

"I know." Thomas nodded. And so the two crossed swords.

They were equally powerful when it came to the sword. If not for his bad eye, Thomas would be Bryan's equal completely. Thomas was not considered the undisputed master of the underhanded deed for nothing. Grabbing a golden axe from one of his men, effectively dooming him, Thomas forced Bryan to continually be moving even more than he normally would have.

Like a raging beast, Thomas attacked and many times he came close to actually hitting his cousin. If not for Bryan's equally fast reflexes, he'd have been dead.

Ultimately, Bryan's iron sword was broken and the rightful heir was on his back with Thomas' foot upon his chest. The fighting stopped and all eyes were on the two cousins. With his broken sword still in his hand, Croi-Dragon stared up defiantly at the Traitor.

"Not like this…" muttered Cloten in horror. It was exactly what everyone was thinking.

Thomas rose his sword to bring it down. "Expire, liberator!"

And then Bryan brought the broken blade of his sword into Thomas' left leg. With a pained cry, Thomas backed away letting Bryan up. "I'm not ready to make the journey to the undiscovered country just yet." Throwing the broken sword aside, Bryan ran forward and punched his cousin in the face. "That is for my subjects!" He then punched Thomas again. "That is for my father!" And again! "And that is for the Ontarian Empire!" Down Thomas went backing away from his cousin. "Now, give up the crown and throne and I promise the worst you will get is banishment."

"Give it up?" asked Thomas. "My dear cousin, its like you don't know me at all!" Thomas lunged at Bryan with his sword and drove it into his cousin's right shoulder.

By this moment both claimants to the Redstone Throne were both in pain. After stabbing Bryan's shoulder, Thomas fell back clutching his leg while the former kept a hand on his shoulder.

Running to Bryan's side Cloten and a few others helped him away while Turgot, Eustace and Vipont helped Thomas into Greenleaf Manor just as an angry mob made their way at him.

"Take it easy, Bryan." Said Cloten. "You will have your chance another day."

"I was so close…" muttered Bryan. "So close!"


	10. A Lover and His Lass

**Welcome back everyone. After this chapter, the romance story arcs begin. And now, I have another character to make a skin for: Jack. This chapter features a reference to "Promise" by ZexyZek. Enjoy and review.**

 **A Lover and His Lass**

"Will you stop carrying me? My injury is in my shoulder not my legs!" groaned Bryan, tired of being carried with Cloten now leading the way on his pig Ymir.

"Relax, my prince!" Cloten kept the carrot above Ymir as he spoke. He was not really paying attention. He was troubled about Bryan's wound. Suppose it should prove fatal.

"I'm not feeling as faint as I did when I was stabbed." Said Bryan. "I can walk." Those carrying him but him down and Bryan took a few steps forward without looking he was about to fall down. Cloten turned Ymir around so he might get a look at his master. "There, you see! How about a song, Cloten?"

"How long a song, Bryan?"

"Long enough for us to have something besides the eerie silence in our ears for when we get back to Yak!" Bryan turned to look at the surprised faces that had just heard the village's name. He raised an eyebrow and shrugged. "I have no idea who came up with the name." Once more turning to Cloten, Bryan gave a smile. "Now about that song!"

"My heart is a dragon but now it is—"

"No!" exclaimed Bryan and the miners in unison.

"What?" asked Cloten.

"Save that for when I am again a captive of an enemy! Not while we are making our way back from some donnybrook!"

"Very well, then. How about the dirge I wrote for your father's funeral?" The look on the faces of those before Cloten only gave him his answer. That was not something they wanted to hear either. "Okay, then. 'A Lover and His Lass?'" They were all in agreement that something happy would be best. "There we go!"

 _It was a lover and his lass,_

 _With a hey, and ho, and hey nonino,_

 _That oe'er the green cornfield did pass,_

 _In the spring time, the only pretty ring time,_

 _When birds do sing, hey ding a ding, ding;_

 _Sweet lovers love the spring._

Cloten did not get much farther as he was soon interrupted by one of the miners. "Would you look at that a lover and his lass right there!" He pointed to a clearing where a boy and a girl did stand.

"You're name, sir?" asked Bryan to the miner.

"Jack, milord."

"No need to call me that, Jack." Said Bryan. "Simply 'Bryan' will do. It doesn't seem like they know we're here."

"What do they look like?" asked Cloten.

"They are both brown haired." Said Jack. "The boy is a bit darker when it comes to the skin and the girl is a bit lighter."

"What color are their eyes?"

"The boy's are brown and the girl's are green…" Jack then realized he was too far away to tell. "Now how should I know from this distance?" Funnily enough, that was the exact eye colors for both.

And then from the brush came a creeper towards the couple. The boy stood in front of the girl with a diamond sword in hand, the girl looking frightened as the beast came closer.

With the protective instincts a leader should have for their subjects Bryan drew his sword, wincing in pain as he did so, and would have rushed out into the clearing had Cloten, Jack and the other miners held him back. He struggled to get out of their grip but he was one and they were five.

"Let me go! I must aid them."

"Hold on, Bryan." Said Cloten. "Let us see what yond lover does to defend his lass."

Bryan did calm himself somewhat but yet there was something that kept him from being completely calm. The creeper. Was Thomas' ascension to the Redstone Throne a sign that all Martin the Great had done to keep his people safe had become undone? Was this creeper just a random one? Or was it one of those that the Order of the Creeper used for weapons?

"Spread out." Whispered Bryan.

"What?" asked Jack, perplexed! "Why?"

"If that's just some random creeper we have nothing to worry about. If that creeper belongs to the Order then surely one of their members isn't far away intending to make sport of these two!" explained Bryan. "Quickly! We must find him before that lover slays that creeper."

"Why?" asked Cloten. "The boy kills the creeper, the anarchist will just leave won't he?"

"I don't know but I'm not going to take that chance." The rightful heir looked back at the scene going on. "Make haste!"

Quickly they all spread out to search for the anarchist. Hopefully, there was just one. A number would mean more of a fight. Thankfully one was just what Bryan found, up on a hill with a bow in hand ready to shoot the boy should he kill the creeper.

"Hold sir!" came a voice as a sword was softly placed against his head. "Your name quickly!"

"My name I withhold." Said the anarchist. It was not Turgot. It was someone else and the Grand Master certainly wouldn't be this far from Creeperstone. "You know doubt know my allegiance, stranger. Give me your name and allegiance."

"Bryan Carthach."

"Well, well… Croi-Dragon. I feel so lucky."

"Don't." Bryan gripped his sword tightly.

"Is that directed to me feeling lucky or loosing an arrow at the boy?"

"Both."

"Why should it matter to you?" asked the anarchist. "If the creeper kills the boy and the girl there is nothing for you be protective over. If the boy kills the creeper and I kill the boy there is a sad, lonely girl who you might 'comfort.'"

"I'd like to find love." Replied Bryan. "But not like that. Not at the expense of a heart being broken! Now, put down the bow or I will kill you."

"You are an enemy of the order, you will kill me anyway."

"The Order of the Creeper is the enemy of anyone who will not let you do as you wish! You have far more enemies than just me!" growled Bryan. "Now, again I say put down the bow or I will kill you."

"Why should I?"

"You mean you don't know?" asked Bryan. "I knocked out Turgot with your order's own banner."

"What?" The anarchist turned his head a bit to look at Croi-Dragon.

"Now that got your attention." Bryan grinned and gripped his sword even more tightly. "Yes, I knocked out Turgot with your own banner. It broke. I don't care but given how you anarchists are it seems you do."

"It is sacrilege for one not of the order to touch the banner! It is even worse for one of you to break it!"

"Why?"

"It starts giving those we prey on ideas."

"What kind of ideas?"

"You know what kind!"

"I do but I want to hear an anarchist say it."

"You will give them the idea of rising up against us! Your father never fought us, he just banished us but you have fought us and one village does not fear us anymore! How long until your entire empire rises against us?"

"My empire? You do not mean Thomas'?"

"Don't you play with me!" exclaimed the anarchist. "We all know who the rightful heir is regardless of Thomas claiming he is the rightful heir because he is named after your grandfather. You are! It is you the populace will rally to against Thomas! It is you the populace will rally to against our order! You are too dangerous to let live!"

Bryan sheathed his sword and gestured for the anarchist to come at him. The anarchist took an arrow and charged only for Bryan to sidestep him and watch as the anarchist fell down the hill and hit a rock face first.

What a way to go!

He was not as terrible as Turgot but yet Bryan had not yet truly fought Turgot for the skirmish they had could truly have been called a fight. Perhaps this anarchist had just been a lesser member. There must have been formidable members.

But such thoughts were for a different time. Turning to look down the hill, Bryan saw the creeper slain and the couple in each other's embrace and about to kiss. With a smile on his face, Bryan placed his right hand over his heart and felt it beat. One day he would find the other half of his heart.


	11. War of the Cousins

**Welcome back everyone. Here begins the Spectral Arrow arc. And now my list of skins to make is Joanne, Jack, Sir George Squire, Sir Walter, Louis Cuff and Martha Stronge. Enjoy and review.**

 **War of the Cousins**

The War of the Cousins had began to rage. The forces of Croi-Dragon and the Traitor fought for the Redstone Throne of the Ontarian Empire. Over the course of a night, the whole kingdom of Oshawood had been turned into a battleground. Even a small village like Narnia was not safe from the hands of war. Thus Sir George Squire, one of Thomas' top men questioned a blacksmith in the neighboring town of "This Happy Duck."

"But Sir George, I know nothing!" exclaimed the blacksmith.

"Lying villager, I will hear no more about that! What do you know of the Spectral Arrow Brotherhood?"

"They are desperate men! They say you've stolen their land! They have banded together against you! They want justice!"

"Is that so?" asked Sir George, stroking his black mustache as he turned to a companion of his. "What do you think, Sir Walter?"

Sir Walter was not much different from Sir George. He was as black haired and eyed and wore the uniform of the Traitor's men.

"It's outrageous!" exclaimed Sir Walter.

"They are griefers and traitors to their mayor!" added Sir George. "Now listen to me, blacksmith, these desperados—" The sound of horse's hooves came to the ears of Sir George.

Walking to a window, Sir Walter looked out to see what it was. "Louis Cuff has arrived with the reinforcements you need from Narnia."

"Very well then." George sat down and looked to one of his inferiors. "Lock up this blacksmith, I'll deal with him later!" And with that the blacksmith was taken away. As a blond haired boy with green eyes walked in and paused to look at George's ward Martha Stronge while George put on a forced smile. "Louis! Welcome to 'This Happy Duck.' It may not be as comfortable as the Moat Abode at Narnia but it is what it is… Uh, where is Teal?"

"We were attacked by a band of miners from the forest." Stated Louis. "They captured him." George didn't say anything. He had a feeling he knew just who these miners were. "They called themselves the Spectral Arrow Brotherhood." Louis held up a spectral arrow. "Their leader is a miner called Stephan Khimichev."

"These are bad times, Louis." Said Sir George. "My best man has been taken and those blasted Croi-Dragons already having more of a foothold than we do in the empire and now in my own area plagued by these desperados!" George snatched the arrow from Louis' hand and snapped it in rage, shocking Martha quite a bit. George then burst into a fit of laughter. "Come, Louis and you too Martha, let me get you some food from this town's private stores."

"I'd rather starve than eat anything you steal!" exclaimed Martha.

"How dare you speak to your guardian like that!" growled Sir Walter.

George just continued to laugh. "Come, Sir Walter, we shall inspect the new troops and leave this hotheaded girl to cool off." He continued to laugh even as he walked out the door of the blacksmith's workshop with Sir Walter.

Once they were gone, Martha walked over to Louis. "Do you know the way to Holywood Cathedral, Louis?"

"Yes."

"Can you tell me?" And thus he did and she soon departed.

While that happened, George made his inspection of the troops. They were all fine soldiers. Happy with his troops, George gave a little speech.

"You will as meet Vipont's army at Simcoe field. With two armies will kill everyone who is for Bryan Croi-Dragon! Long live Emperor Thomas!" There was a cheer from the soldiers and the men soon departed from the town leaving George to speak to Sir Walter. "And if there is more profit fighting for Croi-Dragon, then we shall just change sides eh, Sir Walter?"

"One plucks the rose that is fairest." Laughed Walter. The two then returned to the blacksmith's workshop to find Martha gone.

"Martha! Where's Martha?" cried Sir George, finding his ward gone. "Blast it! Louis! Go and find her! She is worth too much to me!"


	12. The Spectral Arrow Brotherhood

**Welcome back everyone. Having come back from my little Christmas break during which I saw such things as "The Force Awakens", "The Artist" and Disney's "Aladdin" I now return to this story which probably won't get a lot of reviews until a year after it is finished. Enjoy and review.**

 **The Spectral Arrow Brotherhood**

After Martha, Louis rode. He was merely doing as his guardian had asked. And yet there was something that bothered him. Stephan Khimichev had called Sir George Squire his true enemy. For what reason did he say that? He had called Sir George his father's killer but that was impossible! His father had been killed in a hunting accident!

"Martha!" he called. Riding closer and closer to her. "Martha! Stop!" He grabbed her horse by the reins and halted his own. "Martha! What reason have you to run away?"

"Besides not wanting be married off to someone I don't even know, not wanting to be in the same household of someone loyal to the Traitor, give me a third reason."

"But Thomas is the Ontarian Emperor! How can you not wish to be in the household of one loyal to him?" asked Louis.

"Ontarian Emperor or not he was not the next in line for the Redstone throne." Stated Martha. "Croi-Dragon is the rightful heir. I will not be the ward of someone who is loyal to a backstabber just because they are the Ontarian Emperor."

"Croi-Dragon is proud, reckless, sensual, violent—"

"And the Traitor is so many other things but a hundred times worse!" exclaimed Martha. "He killed his uncle, had the royal court sacrificed to the Ender Dragon, brought the Order of the Creeper and the Complimentary Associates back, attempted to have Aphrodite burned at the stake for expressing freedom of speech when she praised his cousin… How can you follow a leader like that?"

"Yes, Master Louis, answer that question!" Turning their heads, Louis and Martha saw a grey haired man with a mustache and black eyes. This man was Stephan Khimichev, the leader of the Spectral Arrow Brotherhood. "I was there when Squire murdered your father. As great as Martin was he was not without his flaws."

"What flaws?" asked Louis.

"Besides not being able to see danger coming from his own family he would believe whoever informed him of something first." Replied Stephan. "I'm sure you can do the math."

Louis nodded. Squire had gotten to Martin first and informed him of what had happened by lying about the hunting accident. His father had been killed but it had not been by a wild boar.


	13. Killer of His Subjects

**Welcome back everyone. The apparition scene in this chapter was meant to be more of showing how Martin was killed, brining the offstage death onstage so to speak. I'm saving that for a later chapter. Also, I may make a poll for who you all want the chthonic ancestor but you might like it to be left unanswered so I might not. Enjoy and review.**

 **Killer of His Subjects**

The Battle of Simcoe Field was met with the defeat of Bryan Croi-Dragon's subjects. Would it be could be called a battle for in truth it was a massacre! Thomas' soldiers had made mountains of the heads of all those loyal to the rightful heir.

So it was that Bryan sat at Yak's well with his right hand over his face. In his mind he was the one who had truly killed his subjects.

The children all stared at him. To see one so full of life so broken was strange.

Soon Cloten came walking towards him. With a few apples in hand, he soon began juggling.

"Why so sad, Bryan?" he asked. "Defeat happens in war!"

"My father never knew defeat!"

"You are not your father and you were not there." Stated Cloten. "Besides this defat was relatively minor. It was just one defeat in a war that isn't even a week old."

"It was a massacre." Bryan brought his hand away and looked at Cloten. "How many sons and daughters will never return to their parents because of me? How many children are now orphans because of me?"

"These things happen." Said Cloten. "You should not blame yourself."

"Should not blame myself?" Standing up, Bryan looked down on his squire. "They are all fighting for me! They know that I am the rightful heir and thus they fight for me! I didn't ask for them to fight for me but nevertheless they do! The best miners in the Ontarian Empire fought and died for me at Simcoe Field! I killed them!"

"You once said you would give your life for your people and they have given theirs for you!" Cloten threw an apple to Bryan who caught it. "What makes this any different from what you would have done?"

Bryan's response and was to throw the apple he had been given at Cloten's head. It had not been the first time and it had not always been an apple. The first time had been Bryan's grief over a great-uncle he had never met and the object in question had been a toy sword.

Turning away from Cloten, Bryan's eyes fell upon the children. They were all staring at him. What was he to say to them? He said nothing. He turned away from them walking away from the well and in truth away from the town. As he came ever closer to the borders of Yak, Aphrodite stepped in front of him. They stared at each other, the broken eyes of the rightful heir looking into the faithful eyes of the deceased chamberlain's daughter. Ultimately, Bryan turned his head downward like wolf who had been cruelly stared at for fun by a child.

Leaving Yak, Bryan walked farther and farther from all there who were for him. Soon his wolves Wotan and Fricka came running to him.

Sitting beneath a tree, Bryan let the wolves stay lay next to him. His mind was a storm of grief.

"Would I were like the two of you." Said Bryan. "Without cares, without responsibilities, without subjects whose loyalty to you will kill them! In truth I killed my subjects. I am accursed."

"ACCURSED?" came a voice. Bryan knew that voice. It was his father's! But that was impossible! His father was asleep, as the euphemism went.

"And now I am going mad!" muttered Bryan. "That is something that you wolves may fear… The fear of the madness that comes with being rabid."

"MAD? MY SON MAD?" Out of nowhere Martin the Great appeared. Dead he may have been but even the dead could appear before someone. "LOOK UPON ME! DO YOU KNOW ME?"

"My eyes tell me that you are my father." Replied Bryan. "Martin the Great, founder of the Ontarian Empire, great-grandson of he whom was called the Conqueror, predecessor of my evil-hearted cousin Thomas the Traitor!"

"I AM YOUR FATHER'S APPARITION!"

"Prove it! Tell me something of the Chaos! Tell me something of the war between you and my grandmother's cousin that you had never told me in life!" More than one hundred years before, Oshawood had been conquered by the House of Weaver and he who was once known as the Bastard when he had been Duke of Blackthorn alone was forever more known as the Conqueror. Upon his coming death, the Conqueror did not give his domains of Oshawood and Blackthorn both to his eldest son but rather Blackthorn alone went to the eldest son but as the second son had died years prior Oshawood went to the third son and thus the youngest son, Charles, was left with nothing. Yet in time Charles became King of Oshawood and Duke of Blackthorn through a hunting accident killing his predecessor as king and forcing his eldest brother to surrender Blackthorn. Charles had one child: Marlene whom he named his heir but the court ignored this and made Charles' nephew Frederick King of Oshawood and Duke of Blackthorn. What followed was nineteen years of war known as the Chaos ending with Frederick's death and the now middle-aged Marlene refusing the Redstone Throne and instead offering to her son Martin who from his father Thomas Carthach had inherited the Counties of Ontario and and Vernadale and his marriage to Margaret Niall the Duchy of Cobblehill and the County of Taonto. Thus the Ontarian Empire was founded! "How was Frederick killed?"

"HE WASN'T!" exclaimed the apparition. "HE DIED OF A STOMACH DISEASE!"

Bryan's eyes widened. That was it? No climatic battle? It had been a stomach disease that had killed Frederick? As anti-climatic as it was it was possibly worse. "That is something… You are my father's apparition… For what reason do you appear to me now?"

"DO YOU REMEMBER WHAT GREETED YOU WHEN WE RETURNED FROM OUR CAMPAIGN AGAINST THE PIRATES KNOWN AS THE ARCTIC DEEP CAMPAIGN?"

"Yes, cheering people."

"DO YOU REMEMBER WHO WOULD CHEER EVERYTIME YOU WON A TOURNEY?"

"The people."

"YOUR GRIEF FOR THOSE WHO DIED FOR YOU IS ADMIRABLE BUT YOU MUST NOT BLAME YOURSELF FOR THEIR DEATHS! I FELT WHAT YOU DO NOW DURING THE CHAOS! THIS GRIEF WILL PASS!"

"When?" Alas, Bryan's question would go unanswered. As quickly as the apparition had appeared it was gone. Where he had once stood, Wotan and Fricka sniffed the spot but found no scent and then looked at Bryan. "So you saw him too." Bryan stood up and looked at the sky. "What was I thinking asking about how Frederick died? I should have asked if as no longer a member of the mortal plane then who our chthonic ancestor is? The Ender Dragon? Herobrine? The Wither? Wouldn't knowing who it is for sure be a great thing to throw into Thomas' face? What his reaction would be is something I cannot even guess."

"Nor is it something you shall ever see!" Out from the brush came an anarchist accompanied with a complimentary associate and one of Thomas' soldiers.

"You saw it too then?" asked Bryan.

"Saw what?" asked the anarchist. Then perhaps that was nothing but an image of madness but Wotan and Fricka had seen Martin's apparition as well… What was the answer?

"Oh, nothing… Just playing mind games with an anarchist." Lied Bryan.

"Mind games!" exclaimed the anarchist.

"A mind game is a series of deliberate actions or responses—"

"I know what a mind game is!" yelled the anarchist.

"I wonder if the rest of the Complimentary Associates are any better than their leader." Mused Bryan as he drew his sword. The three before him then drew theirs. "Time to find out."

Could Bryan have been feeling suicidal? Fighting three when he was one? But he was not one. Wotan and Fricka were with him! The two wolves jumped at the anarchist and soldier of Thomas while Bryan fought with the mercenary.

The anarchist backed away in terror only to trip and hit his head on a rock, effectively killing him. The soldier got a more grisly ender however with Wotan's fangs soon finding his gorge.

If only the mercenary had not been such a brute. Bryan's sword was soon broken and he found himself avoiding the mercenary's sword.

The rightful heir to the Redstone Throne would have died that day had not a spectral arrow come flying out of nowhere and into the mercenary's chest. Looking around, Bryan saw a blond boy of his own age standing before him.

"Bryan Croi-Dragon?" asked the boy.

"Who are you?"

"Louis Cuff."

"Who are you for?" asked Bryan.

"For you." Replied Louis.

"Why?"

"Because I was a fool who was for your cousin merely because he was the emperor."

"How long has it been since you… Saw the light?"

"A week." Stated Louis.

"Why the spectral arrows?" asked Bryan.

"I am a member of the Spectral Arrow Brotherhood." Replied Louis.

"The what?"

"A group of miners who are enemies to Sir George Squire."

"One of Thomas' most loyal supporters." Bryan placed a hand on his chin and looked to the ground. Squire must have made quite an amount of enemies if there was an entire Brotherhood against him. "Who is the brotherhood for?"

"You need to ask? We are for you! You are the rightful heir and no matter what your own flaws are they are nothing compared to your cousin."

"Alright then… Louis, is it?" Louis nodded in response. "I should like to meet this brotherhood of yours."

"I am not the leader so I may not bring you to our headquarters."

"Then who is?"

"I am!" Bryan turned and there stood a grey haired man who had served as his Captain of Archers during the campaign against the Arctic Deep Empire. It was Stephan Khimichev. "It has been sometime, Bryan."

"Nearly a year, Stephan. So you are the leader of the Spectral Arrow Brotherhood?"

"I am and know that all you need do is call for us and we shall come to you. We are your men."

"I've had enough of people dying for me. Surely you have heard of the Battle of Simcoe Field."

"Things like that can happen when one side is outnumbered, Bryan." Said Stephan. "Don't let it get you down. Now, come. See our headquarters and meet the others such as William Owen. His aim might not that good but he is a good cook and an even better boxer!"

"How bad of an archer is he?" asked Bryan.

"Shoots at a target and the arrows ends up ten feet above." Replied Louis laughing.

"Well then…" mused Bryan. "I simply must meet this member of the Spectral Arrow Brotherhood who is such a terrible archer and at the same time such a marvelous cook and boxer but I still ask that you and your brotherhood not fight for me."

"You still have time to change your mind." Commented Stephan. "And who knows? Miracles can happen in a day!"


	14. To the Rescue

**Welcome back everyone. Why am I trying to update everyday? Because I have not yet given this an official place in my schedule and I fear that I may forget to update if I do not. Maybe I will give this a place in my schedule. Enjoy and review.**

 **To the Rescue**

When Louis returned to the ruined manor that served as the headquarters of the Spectral Arrow Brotherhood, he found Martha missing. In the week that had passed they had become quite close and in fact they were in love.

Louis asked around and was told that Martha had gone to pick flowers two hours prior. She should have returned by then.

William Owen too had only recently returned and had been a witness to what had happened! He told that Sir George Squire had captured Martha and was taking her to the Moat Abode, a cobblestone castle that had belonged to Louis' father now under ownership of Squire.

"I go to rescue her!" yelled Louis to all present, which was the entire brotherhood. "Who will go with me?"

Stephan rose his bow to show he would come before turning to all present. "Will the Spectral Arrow Brotherhood let one of its brothers go alone to rescue his lady love? We all go together!" There was a cheer from the members of the brotherhood while Bryan merely stood aside watching. "Will the rightful emperor join us?"

"Is she worth it?" asked Bryan.

"Worth dying for!" replied Louis.

What Louis had said caused Bryan's eyes to widen. That is exactly how he felt about his people. It was thus that he now knew how his people felt about him. He knew they loved him but never could he have guessed until now that they would die for him. No doubt that was how that boy had felt for the girl he loved the day they were confronted by that creeper. The deaths of all who were for him at the Battle of Simcoe Field would not go in vain.

"That she is!" exclaimed Bryan, drawing the sword he had taken from the dead mercenary. "How far is it to the Moat Abode from here?"

"We are fairly close." Stated Louis. "Do you have a plan?"

"She's your love, Louis. It shall be your plan. If that is fine with Stephan."

Stephan nodded and loosed and arrow into the sky, taking aim into the general direction of the Moat Abode. The direction was known as was their quarry and their objective so it was that they marched.

Squire that nothing of finding his ward Martha. It was just reward that life had thrown to him for the victory at Simcoe Field. As he rode his horse with a villainous smile upon his face, he looked back at Martha on a horse between him and Sir Walter. If they could have guessed what was coming, they would have been prepared for an attack but Squire's men were drunk with overconfidence as was he. It was finding Bryan Croi-Dragon standing in the middle of the road with his two wolves as if waiting for them that caused Squire to pause.

"Feeling suicidal, Croi-Dragon?" asked Squire.

"I was but I am much better now." Replied Bryan. "I have come to avenge all those you massacred at the Battle of Simcoe Field."

"Alone?" Squire burst into a fit of laughter. "I'd say you are still feeling suicidal to come alone."

"I am not alone!"

"I'd hardly call two wolves enough of a force to face thirty-five fighting miners!" Squire rose his sword to bring it down onto Bryan's head when a spectral arrow came flying through the air! It knocked Squire's sword from his hand, causing him to turn and there stood Louis Cuff. "Louis!"

"Two wolves and all one hundred and forty of the Spectral Arrow Brotherhood stand with Bryan Croi-Dragon, Squire." Said Louis as Stephan walked forward with the rest of the brotherhood surrounding Squire's group.

"Surrender or die, Squire!" ordered Bryan.

Squire went silent, looking at all who had him surrounded. He wanted the Spectral Arrow Brotherhood and now here they were!

"What's your answer, blackguard?" asked Stephan.

"You'll have it, desperado!" Squire motioned for his men to attack and that they did. Sir Walter did as well but Squire merely fled with Martha, his captive, being dragged along.

Sir Walter attacked Bryan with sword in hand only to have his sword dashed from his grip by a strike from Bryan's own sword. Without his sword, Sir Walter fell to his knees and began to beg. As he did so the soldiers that were loyal to Thomas were sent to the Nether where such evil belonged by the brotherhood's arrows.

"Do not harm me, Bryan! I have always been for you!"

"Enough! I will hear more of this later when I take you to trial!"

"Where?"

"In Yak!"

"You cannot take me there, Bryan!" objected Walter. "Before the Order of the Creeper forced me to find somewhere else to make sport I was the one who—"

"How long?" asked Bryan.

"Since your father's death." Stated Walter.

"Hasn't been long enough." Commented Bryan. "They will probably be easier on you than they would any anarchist. Now, get moving! Wotan and Fricka will not be far away from you!"

"Bryan!" called Stephan, as he and a few men came running across the path in pursuit of Squire. "Are you coming?"

"I'll be right with you!" returned Bryan as he walked over to the horses that Squire, Martha and Walter had rode upon. "Such beautiful horses!" He had always dreamed of starting a royal herd with Bucephalus as the herd's leader. Now here was his start… But later! He'd have to join in Martha's rescue. "Stay. Don't leave. I will be back." He walked over to Louis. "Do you know a way to cut Squire off?"

"I know this area like the back of my hand!" assured Louis. "The only person who knows it better is Stephan who roamed this area long before I was born!"

"Good."

"You could have killed Walter you know." Commented Louis.

"He is not worth it. Besides if what he says is true, then a trial in Yak may prove to be interesting."

"The only thing preventing so many villains from taking advantage of their station was your father's response to their actions." Stated Louis. "It had not been long enough for Walter to do that much damage."

"We shall see." Returned Bryan. "Would you like to come to the trial after this adventure?"

"Oh, no." said Louis. "I have the utmost trust in your decisions."


	15. The End of George Squire

**Welcome back everyone. Here ends the Spectral Arrow story arc. Future romance arcs will be longer and feature Croi-Dragon a lot more in his aiding of the lovers. Enjoy and review.**

 **The End of George Squire**

With a hand around Martha's wrist, Squire dragged her onward to the Moat Abode. He already could see the towers sticking up above the treetops. They were almost at the clearing between the forest and the castle's entrance when a spectral arrow came flying past them and hit a tree right in front of Squire. And then came the members of the Spectral Arrow Brotherhood.

"Sir George Squire!" Squire turned to see Stephan Khimichev before him. "For the murder of Sir Ercole Cuff, the theft of the land that made so many loyal to the late Martin the Great and his rightful heir Bryan Croi-Dragon outlaws and the heavy taxation of all those in your area you are sentenced to death."

"I will not be made a victim of such an absurd concept as justice!" objected Squire. The concept of justice being an absurd one was a view shared by Thomas and all of his followers and indeed if they were to hold a trial it would be to make a mockery of it. Considering how hated Squire was, there would have been no one in all of the Empire to speak up for him. Sir Walter would not have even spoken up for him since Thomas' followers only thought about removing each other from the equation so they might have a chance to become a part of Thomas' inner circle, which was admittedly not very big only being comprised of his mother, Turgot, Eustace and Vipont.

"Justice absurd!" exclaimed Martha. "Only one who lied to Martin the Great would think such a thing!"

"Martin the Great was a fool!" argued Squire. "He allowed such idiocy as religious freedom, the lowest taxes all of his territories have ever known and the punishment of mayors who would so much as make sport of his subjects! A proper ruler would persecute anyone who was not of the same beliefs as them, have the taxes high and allow sport to be made of their subjects and I will not hear Martin the Great be called a saintly monarch anymore!"

It was at that moment that Squire did the most foolish thing one could possibly have done. He charged at Stephan with fists formed only for Stephan to loose and arrow into his heart. So died Sir George Squire.

As Louis and Bryan arrived at the Moat Abode they found Martha waiting for them. Martha ran into Louis' arms, leaving Bryan to smile at such a happy sight but at the same time he felt loneliness in his own heart. Where was his beloved?

Such melancholy wonderings were immediately banished from Bryan's mind as a spectral arrow came down onto the bridge over the moat from which this castle got its name. Louis and Martha had been about to kiss when the arrow came down, causing them to look in shock at the direction that the arrow had come from.

There stood Stephan waving at them. The rightful heir and the happy couple then waved in returned.

A battle had been won but not the war. Eventually the war would come to an end and when that day did come evil would be banished from the Ontarian Empire. However an ending be it happy, bittersweet or tragic cannot come before the climax of a story and so that time was still a long ways away.


	16. Sir Walter on Trial

**Welcome back everyone. Now, this one will be a bit shorter than the usual chapter. In fact the new few will be quite a bit shorter. Enjoy and review.**

 **Sir Walter on Trial**

Once more before the well, Bryan sat with Sir Walter before him while all of Yak's inhabitants stood around them. Holding a sword downward and resting his chin on its hilt, Croi-Dragon looked to his right where Cloten stood.

"I'm sorry about earlier, Cloten." Apologized Bryan.

"No need for that." Returned Cloten. "I quite enjoy the feeling of an apple being thrown against my head!"

"There is something wrong with you." Muttered Bryan as he turned his head to Sir Walter. "Sir Walter, you are on trial for incendiarism, slaying and… What was the last thing?"

"That's it!" said one of the miners

"Oh, really? Just incendiarism and slaying?" asked Bryan. "Alright then, that makes the list even shorter. How do you plead, Sir Walter?"

"Abashed!" exclaimed Sir Walter. "I am the peccant party! Exile me! Name me an outlaw! Imprison me! Just don't kill me!"

"This is the most anti-climatic trial I have ever attended." Muttered Bryan. In truth he had only ever attended one trial prior to this but it had also been for Sir Walter and that had been more dramatic. "You don't want to be stripped of your rank?"

"Your father already did that to me for looting a cathedral during the campaign against the Arctic Deep Campaign! With Thomas there is no stripping of rank there is just execution! Stripping me of my rank while Thomas sits upon the Redstone Throne won't mean anything he will still have me killed for failure! Please, I beg of you! Banish me, make me an outlaw, imprison me, just something that will prevent me from ever having to be near that lethal tempered cousin of yours!"

"I will remove the outlaw option and leave you with the options of banishment or imprisonment." Stated Bryan. "Show of hands, who is for banishment?" Everyone raised their hands for banishment. There was not even a point to ask for a show of hands to know who was for imprisonment. "It is concerted then. Where will you go, Sir Walter? To the west is the Lordship of Scarborough, now a part of the empire."

"You forget your geography lessons, Bryan." Replied Sir Walter. Between Scarborough and Oshawood there is the divided nation that has not been conquered. It is there I shall go."


	17. Bryan and Aphrodite

**Welcome back everyone. Enjoy and review.**

 **Bryan and Aphrodite**

After Sir Walter's trial, Bryan found Aphrodite sitting by a river. He apologized to Cloten only to find that he had enjoyed the apple hitting his head. What was he to say to Aphrodite? What was he to say at all? He who had always been better speaking with his associates and often had trouble speaking with damsels. Still, he could have given it a chance if he could speak to Aphrodite at all. He had not spoken to her since he rescued her from burning. Now would be as good a time to talk to her as any.

Sitting next to her, Bryan took a breath before speaking. "I am sorry about what you witnessed earlier. My father always did say that a heavy weight lay upon a leader's shoulders. I learned that today. I was not ready."

"How is Cloten?" asked Aphrodite.

"Would you believe he actually enjoyed having an apple thrown at his head?"

"What? Really?"

"Yes." Bryan looked at the water, not sure about what to say. "Uh… There… Is something wrong with him."

"I should say so." Laughed Aphrodite, causing Bryan to look at her. "Anyone who enjoys having an apple thrown at their head must be crazy."

"A crazy man with a face like that of a human creeper." Mused Bryan as he looked up to the sky. "Sounds about right. Still he is one of my greatest friends, as is Jonathan the Daredevil and if he can still be called such a thing, Christopher the Backstabber. Oh, Chris… If only your morals weren't as weak as my cousin's."

"If he were to show up, would you allow him into our merry band?"

"I don't know. He thinks might makes right, has no problem with attacking those who are on the same side as him and will defile a damsel just to have some fun." Bryan scratched his right cheek. "How long until he and I would come to blows for the last time."

"Do not think of him until he does show up." Advised Aphrodite. "If he shows up. You have friends here like Cloten, Jack and… myself."

"What better friends could I ask for?" asked Bryan, placing a hand on Aphrodite's shoulder and smiling at her.


	18. Herobrine's Speech

**Welcome back everyone. Enjoy and review.**

 **Herobrine's Speech**

To say the War of the Cousins would not have been the perfect time for the forces of the Nether to invade would have been untrue. There was not a better target than an empire at war with itself.

Thus did Herobrine, his miner form replaced with the form of a Zombie Pigman, speak before the assembled hostile mobs. On a stage of netherbrick did he speak, a diamond sword in one hand and a torch in the other!

"Mobs of the Nether! Soon the nations of the Overworld will know your might! The Ontarian Empire whom ransacked your realm to build their capital's castle and drove so many of your Overworld brethren out will be the first to fall! Even now it is divided between the one they call Bryan Dragon-Heart and Thomas the Traitor! When the conflict is over and the empire severely weakened we shall overrun it! We shall burn and pillage it! Kill all who dare to resist us, make slaves of the rest! WE CANNOT BE DEEFATED!"

And with that all of the mobs chanted Herobrine's name. With a smile on his swine-like face, he who destroyed a fallen kingdom only thought about what fools they all were. All he cared about was revenge. That prince that had slain him… That was Herobrine's real target. The Ontarian Empire was merely a front. What cared he about it? He was not of the Nether. He was of the Overworld originally. He had wished to make all of the Overworld fear his name. He had destroyed what had been at the time the most powerful nation in all the Overworld…. That fallen kingdom! Victory had been his. The fear of so many had been his! Then that blasted prince came and slew him!

He would have his revenge. That was all that he wanted. Revenge! Nothing more, nothing less!


	19. Jebmas Cancelled

**Welcome back everyone. Time for another chapter featuring Thomas! Yes, I know you hate these chapters but it is a requirement as me and my own cousin came to this agreement that Thomas appear every once in a while, his reasoning being that you will all forget who the main antagonist is. Considering the previous chapter, that may be debatable. Enjoy and review.**

 **Jebmas Cancelled**

"What?" asked Thomas incredulously. He could not believe what he was hearing. "What do you mean despite our victory at Simcoe Field the people won't turn from my cousin."

Standing before him as he sat on the Redstone Throne, Turgot looked at Thomas thinking about his words carefully. He did not want to set off Thomas' temper.

"Yes, sire." Replied Turgot. "He has made it clear that it is for them that he fights. He has the Spectral Arrow Brotherhood on his side as well."

"What's that?"

"You mean you haven't heard?"

"I don't follow current events."

"You are perfect for a career in politics then." Muttered Turgot.

"What was that?" asked Thomas.

"They are an outlaw band." Liked Turgot.

"By the Ender Dragon! Outlaws too?" Thomas stood up. "That does it!"

"What are you going to do?" asked Turgot.

"There will be no more blessed decapitations!"

"There is no such thing as a blessed decapitation." Muttered Turgot.

"No more giving rotten flesh to the hungry!"

"They will be so happy to hear that." Again muttered Turgot.

"And I hereby cancel Jebmas for as long as I reign!"

"There is the only thing that will make the people angry." Muttered Turgot. "Cancelling a holiday."


	20. Christopher the Backstabber

**Welcome back everyone. Enjoy and review.**

 **Christopher the Backstabber**

The only people who were really happy about Thomas' decrees were the hungry. It was better to starve than to eat rotten flesh. The "blessed decapitations" were replaced with just normal decapitations and the cancelling of Jebmas, a notional holiday, made Thomas even less popular than he already was. In fact, he had a negative nineteen percent approval rating by the time everyone heard that decree and he was only likely to go further down in the polls.

"What is Thomas thinking?" asked Bryan, the day after the decrees were made. He was standing at a bridge with several of his friend. "What sort of a ruler is he? What did he want beyond the Redstone Throne?"

"Well, making people hate him seems to be the general aim." Commented Aphrodite.

"You don't need to be a usurper to do that." Stated Cloten. "The entire Lordship of Scarborough hated him long before he took the Redstone Throne. He killed his own father, Lord Laurier. He was quite popular regardless of what someone's station was. Doing that was not exactly going to make him a popular person. Thomas doomed himself to the hatred of the masses the day he ended Laurier's life."

"Thomas wasn't exactly loved even before that." Said Jack. "I remember hearing rumors that Laurier intended to step over Thomas completely and have his daughter, Thomas' sister, your cousin Holly as his successor."

"Those rumors were true." Confirmed Bryan. "My uncle did indeed intend to step over Thomas after seeing what a demon he brought about."

"Where is Holly now?" asked Jack. "I remember hearing she was a jolly girl to be around."

"Thomas had her drowned." Replied Bryan. "That wasn't the official story though but I know he wouldn't tell the truth."

"And what about your old friend, Christopher the Backstabber?" asked Jack. "What about him? How did he get such a name?"

"He is such a poor fighter that the only way he can defeat someone is by stabbing them in the back." Stated Bryan.

"He always was a boastful guy but he was yellow when he was in danger." Commented Cloten.

"When I last met him he appeared to have become everything he said but was still an account controlling, refractory asshat." Bryan's commentary on Chris caused a shocked gasp from Aphrodite and staring from Cloten and Jack until everyone burst out laughing. He must have been something if Bryan would have used vulgar slang mashed together with formal terminology.

"You are too kind, Bryan." Came a voice. Everyone turned their heads to see a bald brute standing across the bridge. "However the account controlling, refractory asshat is gone!"

"Chris… Long time no see." Welcomed Bryan. "What has your former self been replaced with?"

"I'm still a boaster host commander." Stated Chris. "Why change that?"

"Yes, why change that?" asked Bryan in a snarky tone.

"You'll find I am far more of animated and abusive than when we last met."

"If you are abusive I do not want your company." Bryan crossed his arms and turned his head away from his old friend.

"You know abusive has more than more meaning. Maybe having someone as violent as you around will be helpful!" hissed Chris.

"I have a feeling you have become more violent than I possibly could."

"Willing to make a wager on that?"

"I don't make bets."

"You do with your life, Bry." Laughed Chris. "You do with your life."

"Don't we all for those we love?" asked Bryan.

"I love no one." Replied Chris. "But I do love something. The ichor of my fallen enemies."

"Who are you for? Me or my cousin?"

"I am for you."

"Why?"

"We are friends."

"You have done much to prove the contrary." Stated Bryan. "Thus I will keep you on a short leash."


	21. Riding

**Welcome back everyone. Here begins another romance arc, which will be a smaller arc within a larger arc. The romance arc shall be called "The Grievous" arc and the larger arc that it is a part of shall be called "The Backstabber" arc. Take a wild guess why. Now technically, the Backstabber arc began in the previous chapter. Croi-Dragon is the protagonist overall, he's the main character of the entire story but romance arcs have the couples as their main characters but for the Backstabber arc Chris isn't the main character per say, he's more like Dracula, Diablo or Carmen Sandiego. It is an antagonist title and Chris is the token evil teammate. Now carrying on, I have made more skins on Novaskin for this story. I am currently working on Louis from the Spectral Arrow arc, so I am getting the skins made. Anyway, done with all this. On with the show! Enjoy and review.**

 **Riding**

The next day, Bryan rode upon Bucephalus while Chris rode alongside him on his own horse brown horse Keshi. As they rode they saw a boy being pursued by a spider jockey. The spider jockey had a bow and the boy had a sword.

"Lets go!" Bryan began to ride forward until he turned and saw Chris keeping Keshi still. "What's the matter with you? He needs help!"

"Let him die! Let it be survival of the fittest!"

Bryan rode up to Chris and stared him right in the eye. "Only a villain would say such a thing!"

"Then let all the world know me to be a villain!"

"Not as long as you are upon Keshi."

"What?"

Bryan slapped Keshi's rump, causing the horse to go running toward the scene of pursuit. Laughing, Bryan turned Bucephalus around and rode into battle to aid his subject as a leader should.

Quickly, Bryan brought his sword down onto the skeleton's skull and it was over. This only caused him to wonder where Chris was. Then he looked and saw Chris with sword raised ready to bring it down upon he whom they had just rescued. As he did, Bryan placed his own sword between them protecting the boy.

"Chris, I swear an animal such as you does not deserve to be in society." Looking at the boy, one his own age, Bryan now spoke. "Sorry about him, he isn't right in the head."

"You're him aren't you?" asked the boy. "Bryan Croi-Dragon."

"The same." Bryan then looked at Chris. "And this thing is Christopher the Backstabber."

"Don't call me that!" objected Chris. "I have improved as a combatant."

"Not enough to get yourself a new sobriquet apparently." Commented Bryan, turning his head to look at the boy. "Now, you know who we are. Who are you?"

"Taden." Stated the boy. "And it is you I have been searching for!"

"Oh, why?"

"My love, Oloa, has been taken captive by our mayor." Stated Taden.

"His name?"

"Alberich. He claims to have served under the Backstabber here during the campaign against the Arctic Deep Empire."

"I don't recall having had an Alberich in my battalion." Commented Chris.

"I'm sure." Bryan looked at Taden, trying to figure out how to best ask the question. "W-Who is Alberich for?"

"Not anyone officially." Replied Taden. "But I can't help but feel he is for your cousin."

"Oh, and why's that?"

"The only person I've only heard him praise who isn't himself is your cousin." Replied Taden. "Even then it was only once compared to the endless praise he heaps upon himself."

Chris laughed. "A man after my own heart."

Bryan shook his head. If only Chris had been someone else. If only he had been someone trustworthy. "For what reason has Alberich taken Oloa captive?"

"For criticizing his constant praise of himself when he has done next to nothing but go looking for gold and even then he has brought nothing back." Replied Taden. "Of course, I doubt he actually does any mining since he never brings a pickaxe when he leaves town."

"Then he must be a liar of the worst kind!" concluded Bryan.

"That is my opinion of him." Confirmed Taden.

" A man after my own heart indeed." Laughed Chris. "Or rather when I could not back my boasts. I can back them now and I'll teach this Alberich how to skip." Bryan could only roll his eyes. It seemed Chris lived for fighting now. Did he care whom he fought for or did he only care that he fought?

""Alright, then." Said Bryan. "We'll help you."

"We'll what?" asked Chris.

"We'll help Taden, Chris." Stated Bryan. "What are we if we do not help our own?"

"Smart." Commented Chris. "The law states that everyone should be for themselves."

"What law is that, Chris?" asked Bryan. "The law of the blackguard?" Chris said nothing. "I'll take that as your answer."

"It is my answer." Stated Chris. "

"An why is it your answer?"

"Because it is at it should be! People should not put anyone before themselves!"

"Your parents put you before themselves." Stated Bryan.

"And look where it got them! A stroke and who knows where!"

"A stroke is a health problem and you should do better at knowing where your relations are." Commented Bryan. "Besides, I'm not letting you out of my sight. When you are out of sight you do horrible things."

"I do horrible things when I am in sight." Returned Chris. "Horrible things are what I do."

"You need a hobby."

"Horrible things are my hobby."

"Then maybe I'll just keep a shorter leash on you." Said Bryan. "And make it literal."

"You wouldn't dare put a lead on me! It is impossible to put a lead on a person!" exclaimed Chris.

"Just shut up and move!" Bryan hit Chris on the back with the flat of his sword. "Lead the way, Taden!"

"Is it wise to bring the Backstabber with us?" asked Taden.

"I am here!" exclaimed Chris. "I can hear you!"

"Unfortunately it is a requirement." Replied Bryan.

"Why?" asked Taden. "Surely the horrible things he has boasted of are merely that, boasting."

"Boasting?" asked Chris. "Boasting! I will flay you alive!"

"Yeah and I'm Notch." Scoffed Taden.

Bryan merely shook his head. "I wish it was just boasting. I'm not leaving him behind to do who knows what. He's not the coward he once was."

"I have improved greatly and don't anyone forget it." Chris held his sword close. "And it is best you watch your back or my sword will be in it." The last bit Bryan silently mouthed, having heard it before.

"Is he always like this?" asked Taden. That was a question those who did not know Chris well often asked such things.

"Regrettably." Replied Bryan. Hearing so much of the same thing from Chris only made Bryan realize how much the guy repeated himself. "Makes me wish he was mute."

"Mute?" asked Chris. "I wouldn't be able to boast or make threats if I were mute."

"My point exactly."

Taden gave a chuckle and looked down. There was no way this could have possibly been a dull adventure.

"My lords, will you come this way?" asked Taden.

Bryan smiled and nodded. "Yes, Taden. To your town! May I know it's name?"

"Paluldon." Stated Taden.

"Quite the name" commented Bryan. "A fine name."

"King Charles named it himself." Stated Taden. "My ancestor was one of his closest confidents."


	22. Attacked by Mercenaries

**Welcome back everyone. Enjoy and review.**

 **Attacked by Mercenaries**

Riding to Taden's hometown, a feeling of being watched came over two of the three. The one who didn't feel like they were being watched was Chris. Stopping Bucephalus, Bryan's eyes darted from left to right. He saw them. Taden saw them too. The only one who did not see them was Chris being as single-minded as a cow.

"Better it had been anarchists." Commented Bryan. Green and brown made better for hiding oneself in the forest than purple did.

"Indeed." Agreed Taden as his eyes fell upon Chris, still riding forward. "He hasn't noticed them?"

"It appears he hasn't." Bryan drew his sword. "Still… He will soon." Turning his head, Bryan looked at the nearest mercenary. "We know you are here! If you're going to attack then do it!"

And thus battle was joined and Chris became aware of the mercenaries. It was three against nine and two of them were mounted. The mercenaries were hopelessly outmatched until Bryan and Chris were both pulled from their horses.

The clanging of swords rang out through the forest. Ichor was spilled upon the clay and some of it was Bryan's own ichor. Opening the wound in his shoulder that Bryan had received from Thomas, the mercenaries found what would have been a challenge soon all too easy.

"Are you alright, Bryan?" asked Taden.

"Not really." Replied Bryan. "I'm not left-handed!"

"I'll kill this mercenary and I'll help you soon!" Taden stabbed the mercenary he was fighting in the heart and then came to the rescue. Killing the three mercenaries that were fighting Bryan, Taden placed a hand on Bryan's shoulder that was not injured. "Rest a bit, I'll see to the Backstabber."

Taden turned to see Chris making slow work out of the five mercenaries who had been fighting him. By slow work, that of course meant barbaric abuse. In other words, cold-blooded torture!

"Alright, lads! Who wants to be the first to have their front excoriated off?" asked Chris, laughing like a maniac.

"Backstabber!" called Taden. "You're emperor is wounded! Forget about them, they are wounded themselves! Let them go! Be benevolent!"

"My emperor? Be benevolent?" asked Chris before laughing again. "My only emperor is my desire to see blood and benevolence is for the cowardly!" Chris then realized what he had been called. "And you called me 'Backstabber', Taden… I'll make you pay for that!" Chris charged with sword raised.

"Punch him in the nose!" called Bryan. "He can't stand to see his own blood!" Taden did just that and soon Chris had dropped his sword, was on the ground and clutching his face.

"Unfair, Bryan, unfair!" yelled Chris.

"My fear of the Ender Dragon keeps my flaws under controls and the sight of your own blood keeps your under control." Commented Bryan.

With a bandage in hand, Taden walked over to Bryan. "Has he always been like this?"

"Oh, yes. If there is one constant about Chris he cannot stand the sight of his own blood."

"That's not true!" objected Chris.

"You are a famed deceiver, Chris!" returned Bryan. "Of course it is!"

"We won't have to wait for him to stop bleeding will we?" asked Taden.

"Unfortunately." Replied Bryan. "I can't afford to let him out my sight otherwise villagers will up in arms with torches after him."

"One time!" yelled Chris. "That was one time!"

"One time times thirty-five!" commented Bryan.

Taden burst into laughter. "Really?" he asked, still laughing. "It has happened to him that many times."

"Probably more but I was not present for those possible times." Stated Bryan.

"It was just once!"

"It was not!"

"It was!"

"It was not!"

"When have you ever told the truth, Chris?" Never.


	23. Alberich

**Welcome back everyone. Enjoy and review.**

 **Alberich**

Sitting in his manor, Alberich looked at Eustace of Whitby. One person from Thomas had been sent to him as a representative to ensure Alberich's allegiance in the War of the Cousins. His praise of Thomas had come to the ears of the Ontarian Emperor thus his allegiance was of the utmost importance.

"You expect Taden to have gone in search for Croi-Dragon?" asked Alberich.

"I know he would have." Replied Eustace. "Thus did I leave nine men on the road from here to Yak in wait."

"Have you ever met Croi-Dragon?" asked Alberich. "I have never met anyone of the royal court save for you, Eustace."

"Once." Replied Eustace. "We fought each other at the Greenleaf Tourney. He defeated me and thus I wish to revenge myself as does Vipont who has an even greater reason."

"Why?"

"By Notchy, man! Were you not there?"

"I have never been to Greenleaf." Stated Alberich.

"Well, in that case I shall tell you. Vipont was the first to fall before Croi-Dragon. Their swords met once and Vipont fell from his horse. As for me I lasted one strike of the sword longer before I was unhorsed."

"Has Turgot sworn to revenge himself upon Croi-Dragon as well?"

"Has he ever." Replied Eustace. "Croi-Dragon made a disgrace of his order's banner, using it to frighten his fellow anarchists and ultimately knocked Turgot unconscious with it, which broke the banner."

"Sounds serious." Commented Alberich.

"It is, to one such as him." Agreed Eustace.

"What if Croi-Dragon survives your men?"

"Well, it is as Thomas has said. I can smile and murder while I smile." Eustace laughed. "Quite a saying, eh?"

"Indeed it is." Agreed Alberich. That was something could do as well. He could smile and murder while he smiled.


	24. Paluldon

**Welcome back everyone. The point of this chapter is to show that Eustace is different from Turgot and Vipont. I personally felt he should be more of anti-villain, just a person trying to make a living who is in the employ of one without morals. Enjoy and review.**

 **Paluldon**

As the three arrived in Paluldon they found mercenaries in the town. That explained why there had been mercenaries waiting for them on the way.

"How is your shoulder?" asked Taden.

"It wasn't too bad of a wound." Replied Bryan. 'If it comes down to fighting I'll be fine."

"You are the one they will be after." Commented Taden.

"Hey, look!" one of the mercenaries pointed at Chris. "It's that certifiable torturer!" Of course, it was one of the mercenaries that they had fought.

Bringing a hand to his face, Bryan sighed. How long until wroth assemblages came searching for Chris with torches. One good thing could have come from this. The enemy would be hunting for Chris' head instead of his own.

"Certifiable torturer." Said Chris, slowly with a hand on his chin. "I like it!" Chris was going to be more trouble than he was worth. He was worth about one gold coin.

"Don't start a fight, Chris." Ordered Bryan.

"Oh, I think I'll start a fight if I want to." Returned Chris. "I listen to no one but my urges to spill blood and that is exactly what I'll do." He never did. Bryan brought the pommel of his sword down onto Chris' unprotected head, rendering the brute unconscious. Chris may have been a formidable opponent but he was easily stopped.

Taden stared at the unconscious Backstabber, nodding his head. "Interesting, there isn't just one way to stop him that doesn't involve killing him."

One of the mercenaries walked forward and pointed at the unconscious Backstabber. "Give him to us."

"Sorry but I'm not going to hand him over to anyone." Said Bryan. "Chris needs a proper hand to hold his leash and I'm not going to let someone who has sworn loyalty to my cousin take him."

"Hand him over to us and we will turn our heads the other way, say you were never here!"

"What part of 'Chris needs a proper hand to hold his leash' did you not understand?"

"We don't want to hold his leash." Returned the mercenary. "We want to euthanize him!"

"I'm not the kind of person to hand over people to executioners." Stated Bryan. "If you want him come and take him!"

"Do you have a death wish, boy?" asked the mercenary. "There is more of us than needed to take on the two of you!"

"I'll take those odds." Replied Bryan.

"So will I." chimed in Taden.

"You hear that, lads?" yelled the mercenary. "These two want to die!"

"Hugh! That's enough!" The mercenary turned to see Eustace walking towards him. "We aren't here to fight the inhabitants of Paluldon nor its visitors. Besides, I'd like to have words with Croi-Dragon."

Turning he had to the left a bit, Bryan stared at Eustace. Was this some sort of trick? "You want to have words, Eustace? I'll give you words! If you weren't allied to my cousin I could probably consider you a friend. I'd value your friendship more than I would Turgot or Vipont."

"And why is that?" asked Eustace.

"Because Turgot is a browbeating anarchist and Vipont is an griefer and oppressor to the people he rules over in Thomas' name. You on the other hand only do what you want for money, you need to live. There is some sympathy in my heart for you and your lot and I would most likely spare you."

Hearing this caused Eustace's eyes to widen. Such mercy and understanding from an enemy. Was this really possible? Was this really who wished to seek revenge on for his defeat in a tourney? Defeat was common in a tourney it was merely sport. This had not been some act of war or jealousy or even aggression. It had merely been Bryan coming to the aid of an outnumbered participant. Bryan had chosen a side and Eustace had been on the opposite side.

"I bear you no real ill will then." Returned Eustace. "I break my oath of revenge and shall only fight you because my company and I are in your cousin's employment."

"Shall we fight then?" asked Bryan.

"What for?" asked Eustace in turn. "Your cousin is not here and neither are Turgot and Vipont to outvote me. What reason have you come?"

"Alberich."

"Ah… Yes, I don't really like him myself." Commented Eustace.

"Why not?" asked Taden.

"I had an employer like him once." Stated Eustace. "Would claim to do things but never actually saw him do anything. I think he'd just go off and find somewhere to sleep for most of the day. He never took what he would need for his activity."

"Did you ever actually get paid?" asked Bryan.

"No." replied Eustace. "It is the lack of payment that caused us to go over to his rival."

"Does my cousin pay you?"

"Ten percent of the taxes. He keeps the remaining ninety percent for himself. It's not much but it is payment nonetheless and much more than we have ever gotten in the past."

"What!" exclaimed Taden in shock. "That cannot be true!"

"But it is!" returned Eustace. "For all of our services we have never been given more than three percent of what our employers have had to offer."

"Is there no possible for me to persuade you to switch sides?" asked Bryan.

"You are not in a position to make an offer of payment, Bryan." Replied Eustace. "You have no titles and thus no lands to get taxes from."

"The empire is mine by birthright!" objected Bryan. "It should be you in my services not those of my cousin."

"Let me remind you about your family history, Bryan." Began Eustace. "When your father married your mother, the Duchy of Cobblehill and County of Taonto, did not go over immediately to your father. Your father and mother were co-rulers. Your mother is even now recognizing you as co-ruler of Cobblehill but refuses to give up Taonto on the other hand you have your cousin on the Redstone Throne and has claimed the entire empire as his own, as well as adding the Lordship of Scarborough into the empire's domain, leading him to be the highest bidder."

"At the end of this war, I will be the Ontarian Emperor!"

"You have to survive the war in order to be the Ontarian Emperor!" exclaimed Eustace. "What makes you so sure that you will emerge victorious?"

"I have the populace on my side."

"Your cousin has his followers, my company and the Order of the Creeper." Returned Eustace. "We are more than enough to put you and the populace down."

"And yet you have only had one victory, a massacre at Simcoe Field!" Eustace tensed a bit. That massacre had not been his doing. He did not like being lumped together with those who had carried it out. There was a moment of silence. Bryan waited for a response but yet Eustace never gave one. Seeing Eustace's reaction to the mentioning of the Massacre of Simcoe Field changed Bryan's attitude a bit. "I should get to confronting Alberich."

"I will take you to him." Said Eustace. He nearly turned until he noticed the unconscious Chris. "Oh, yes… Him. You will not leave him will you?"

"I can't." stated Bryan. "I did a few times during the campaign against the Arctic Deep Empire."

"What happened?" asked Taden.

"A dead man and a crying woman." Replied Bryan. "My father very nearly had him executed but I persuaded him to have Chris demoted to a lesser rank."

"What rank is that?"

"The rank he has now. He is strictly a commander. He used to be higher due to some strings being pulled by a family member higher up."

"I see." Commented Eustace. "Well, then. I guess we can bring him along and then lock him in a chest."

"Hasn't been the first time that has been done." Stated Bryan.

"Will it have been the second?" asked Taden.

"No."

"Third?"

"Not even."

"What then?" asked Eustace.

"The tenth." Replied Bryan, laughing as he answered.


	25. Bryan meets Alberich

**Welcome back everyone. Enjoy and review.**

 **Bryan meets Alberich**

Sitting in his manor eating pork, Alberich was quite surprised to see Bryan Croi-Dragon walk into his dinning room. He had never seen Croi-Dragon before but he very much matched the description. Seeing Taden, Alberich grew somewhat furious and upon seeing Eustace he grew undoubtedly furious.

"Eustace! What is this? For what reason have you let enemies to the Emperor into my hall?"

"Thomas isn't here." Stated Eustace. "I take orders from him, not from you."

"Very well then, what of your revenge on Croi-Dragon here?" asked Alberich.

"Sworn off." Stated Bryan. "And now we come to the subject of this meeting. For what reason do you think it is right for imprisoning Oloa because she criticized you? If I were to do something like that to all of my critics, I'd be a not as terrible version of my cousin!"

"She has no right to criticize her mayor!" objected Alberich.

"You constantly praise yourself when no one has ever seen you leave town with a pickaxe in hand when you say you are going mining." Countered Taden. "What harm is there in criticizing a bag of hot air?"

"Are you calling me a liar?" asked Alberich. He had never heard the phrase "bag of hot air" before.

"'Hot air' means empty talk that is intended to impress." Explained Bryan.

"It is not empty talk!" objected Alberich.

"Then you wouldn't mind coming along with us on a mining expedition?" asked Taden.

"Of course not!"

"Then you must bring Oloa along." Commented Bryan.

"What? Why?"

"She criticized you, Alberich." Said Eustace in a bored tone. "Don't you think she should be present?"


	26. Oloa

**Welcome back everyone. Enjoy and review.**

 **Oloa**

When Oloa was brought into the dinning room, Bryan could see another reason why it would be so horrible to lock her away. She was beautiful and to hide a flower in a basement with no sunlight was a crime itself! Her skin was brown and her hair black just as Taden's was but there was something about them… Hair like obsidian and skin like oak wood… And her eyes! Those emerald eyes!

"By Notch!" exclaimed Bryan. "Are you human or some marvelous work of art brought to life?"

"I am human." Replied Oloa. "However I find that question of yours to be an excellent compliment, Bryan."

"You know who I am?"

"Everyone knows who you." Stated Taden. "What other person would wear the colors of the House of Carthach who is not a member?" He then walked over to Oloa and they embraced.

Bryan smiled as he watched them embrace but once more felt a feeling of loneliness in his heart. Was there someone for him?

"This love." Bryan thought. "It can make someone mad enough to be madness incarnate! It kills those who search for it… It kills me for I have no love, no other half of my heart."

Alberich's heart however was unmoved. He had his public reason for imprisoning Oloa be her criticizing of him. His private reason had been that he liked beautiful things and when he saw one he wanted it. All he saw was someone with his arms around his beautiful thing.

Eustace's eyes however were on Alberich. He saw the look in the mayor's eyes. A look most hateful was in Alberich's eyes.

"Mine!" thought Alberich. "She is mine! She is beautiful and if I find something beautiful I take it! Were Croi-Dragon not here I would plunge an iron sword into your back, Taden!"

"Why such hate in your eyes, Alberich?" thought Eustace. "Is Oloa your critic or the subject of lustful affections that you have yet to carry out?"

The time for thoughts soon ended as the sound of Chris breaking out of the chest he had been thrown into rang through out the manor! Calling Bryan's name, Chris searched the manor, even walking past Bryan no more than three times before finally finding him.

"If I was a creeper I would have blown you to bits." Commented Bryan.

"You knocked me out!" exclaimed Chris, pointing a finger at him accusingly.

"You are a master of stating the obvious, Chris." Bryan then turned to Taden and Oloa to introduce Oloa. "The girl would be Oloa and we are all about to go mining so Alberich may prove his claims."

Upon seeing Oloa, the thoughts in Chris' head turned into ones most sinister. They became even more sinister when Chris realized just what he could do when they went mining. Accidents did happen after all.

"I love to mine." Commented Chris, his eyes darting from Oloa to Taden to Bryan.

"Really?" asked Bryan. "I don't believe you but it may have been something you came to love since we last met."

"Who is this?" asked Oloa, gesturing at Chris.

"He is Christopher the Backstabber." Replied Taden.

"Do not call me that!" Placing his hands around Taden's neck, Chris dragged him forward. "I have improved greatly since those days!"

"Down, Chris." Ordered Bryan in the dullest tone possible.

"And you will stop talking to me like I'm a dog!" said Chris, releasing his Taden and turning to face Bryan. "I am a human!"

"A human who acts like a mad dog." Commented Bryan. Chris suddenly started smiling and nodding. There was no reason that should have been viewed as a compliment but Chris did anyway. "I need a shorter leash."

"Not too short though, Bryan." Warned Chris. "After all my teeth are sharp and I'll bit back."

"You need teeth in order to bite back." Countered Bryan. "If need be I'll pull out everyone of your teeth myself be they literal or metaphorical."

"You certainly are a no-nonsense person." Commented Oloa.

"Not exactly." Replied Bryan. "I can tolerate most forms of nonsense, I just can't tolerate his form of nonsense."

"Who would?" asked Eustace, rhetorically. The answer, although a rhetorical question does not need an answer, was Thomas.


	27. Silverfish

**Welcome back everyone. Enjoy and review.**

 **Silverfish**

In Paluldon's mine Bryan, Eustace Taden and Oloa watched as Alberich mined. Chris had gone off to do some mining of his own.

Slowly did Alberich mine! What took seconds for others took a whole minute for him.

"I can see why you don't mine, Alberich." Commented Oloa. "You take too long to break one block!"

"I mine! I mine a lot!" replied Alberich.

"Lets define 'a lot.'" Said Bryan. "Do you mean once a day? Once a week? Once a month? Once a year?"

"Are you suggesting I do not do much mining?" asked Alberich.

"If you did a lot of mining, Alberich, you'd have broken through that block quickly!" exclaimed Eustace.

"I need a better pickaxe!"

"You have a diamond pickaxe! There is nothing better than that!"

A strange sound then came to Bryan's ears. What was that? It didn't sound a zombie, a creeper or a spider.

"I'm not the only one who heard that am I?" he asked.

"It was just some silverfish." Stated Eustace.

"What?" It was at that point that a bunch of the little hostile mobs came out of the rock, causing Alberich to run away screaming in horror. "Oh, those." Drawing his sword he, Eustace and Taden all killed the Silverfish. "Of course my cousin's ascension to the Redstone Throne would result in all of the hostile mobs returning!"

"The problem with creepers being back is how do you tell a wild one from one belong to the Order?" asked Eustace as he hacked away at the silverfish.

Once the silverfish were dead, the four split up in search of Alberich. Little did they know that Alberich knew the mine like his back of his hand and bloodthirsty Chris was not too far away!


	28. Between a Wall and a Pickaxe

**Welcome back everyone. Enjoy and review.**

 **Between a Wall and a Pickaxe**

In search of Alberich, Bryan found the sound of footsteps coming from behind him. Alberich? No. Bryan had a feeling Alberich would not want a victim to hear him coming. This was Chris, bloodthirsty Chris who would want a victim to know he is coming so he could have a challenge.

This was what happened when one let go of Chris' leash.

"Should have gone after someone else, Chris." Commented Bryan.

"No challenge in that, Bryan!" Replied Chris, laughing. "You know me well! Whom else would I get a challenge from?"

"This is not the time nor the place, Chris."

"I'll say what the time and place is! No one else! It will be here and now!"

"I am giving you an order to stand down. I am the rightful ruler of the Ontarian Empire, you are one of my subjects, now stand down." Bryan was remaining completely calm. Chris would not like this at all.

"The only ruler I have are my own bloodthirsty thoughts!" Chris gave another laugh, a deep boisterous laugh. "Men to kill! Women to defile! Children to make orphans out of! The world was made for me to make it suffer! The world was always made for me to make it suffer!"

"I should have let you drown during the campaign against the Arctic Deep Empire." Said Bryan regretfully.

"Shoulda, woulda, coulda, pal!" And with that Chris charged, ready to bring his pickaxe into Bryan's back. One did not need a weapon to defeat Chris and besides, Bryan wanted to bring Chris back to Yak to put him on trial. He was sure Chris had already made a terribly large amount of people who hated him.

Ducking down, Bryan turned around and brought his leg into contact with Chris' feet sending Chris down onto his back. Standing up and backing away, Bryan felt his back hit the mine wall. Poor luck that just as Chris stood up.

Or was it?

Bryan could hear that "Chhkk" sound. The sound of silverfish!

Standing still, Bryan stared at Chris as he held his pickaxe. Bryan was between a wall and a pickaxe and unfortunately for the one holding the pickaxe Bryan was a quick thinker.

Chris swung his pickaxe, ready it's blade into his friend's head. That was when Bryan once more ducked down. This time Chris heard the "Chhkk" of the silverfish. His eyes widened as he realized what they were.

"Oh, so you know what that is do you?" asked Bryan.

"I do but how do you?" asked Chris. "You who was raised in a place and time with no hostile mobs!"

"I was introduced to them today." Replied Bryan. "And it sounds like they want to meet you." Standing up, Bryan walked to Chris' side and took the pickaxe from him. "And here they come."

Sure enough some three silverfish came out of the mine wall. They all landed on Chris, causing the Backstabber to fall on his back in fright.

"Get 'em off! Get 'em off! Get 'em off!"

Bryan merely laughed. This was just too rich. Someone as tough as Chris brought to his knees by something as small as silverfish was just too good to miss and Bryan certainly wasn't going to walk away.

"Oh, I won't be doing that, Chris." Bryan clapped his hands happily at the scene before him. "You belong in a nest of silverfish, Chris!"

"Please, Bryan! Get them off! They are trying to get at my face!"

"I suppose I should let them get you. That would be the end of one headache. But I was raised better than that." Bryan shooed the silverfish away with the pickaxe but he did not help Chris up afterwards. "Don't expect you will be getting this back." He shook the pickaxe in Chris' face.

"I don't need a weapon, Croi-Dragon." Returned Chris. "Besides, your cousin could always need one as bloodthirsty as me!"

This time it was Chris who nearly got a pickaxe stuck in his body. Swinging it with all his might with a violent and reckless storm in his heart, Bryan's violence was directed at Chris and his recklessness was attacking someone with a pickaxe in a mine.

So it was that Chris made his escape as the pickaxe once more came into contact with the mine wall and once more silverfish came out of them. Every mob had their day and this was a day for silverfish.


	29. Taden

**Welcome back everyone. Enjoy and review.**

 **Taden**

Searching for Alberich together, Taden and Oloa quickly found themselves ambushed by the villainous mayor. Quickly did Taden fight in his defense and that of Oloa's. Quick and terrible a fighter he was and thus did Alberich quickly find an iron sword enter his heart.

It must be everything prior to the sword meeting Alberich's heart that must be spoken of. The diamond pickaxe had been broken, Alberich's head bashed against the wall of the mine, the sword's hilt brought down upon the right shoulder and things that ladies and children should not read of.

Alberich was dead and Bryan Croi-Dragon had been a witness to it. Stepping into the light of the torches, he looked down at Alberich's husk and then looked at Taden.

"It was in defense!" exclaimed Taden.

"Yes, I saw." Said Bryan. "You fought like a terrible force. Thus I give you a sobriquet. You shall be known as 'Taden the Grievous.' Also, you are someone I know who is for me and thus I grant you the rank of Mayor of Paluldon. This is a new day for Paluldon and I can only dream of when a new day can come for the Ontarian Empire. A day when the Order of the Creeper is once more driven out, a day when mobs no longer haunt our lands, a day when I may have what you have."


	30. Defection

**Welcome back everyone. Here concludes "The Grievous" arc. If you noticed my love for the play "Macbeth", congrats! Enjoy and review.**

 **Defection**

When Bryan returned to Yak, he found Cloten waiting for him. He did not look happy but when someone has a face like a human creeper how could someone not look unhappy?

"How can I be your squire if I don't know where you are half of the time?" asked Cloten.

"You whine like a mule!" observed Bryan. "I am here now."

"Where is Chris?" asked Cloten.

"Defected to Thomas' side." Replied Bryan.

"Well, that was quick." Cloten rubbed his neck. "More of us should have come with you. That way he would not have defected."

Unfortunately, it was around this time that some of the children were passing by. They heard Cloten say the word "defected" and they all ran over to Bryan.

"Who defected?" asked a boy.

"Was it Louis Cuff?" asked another boy.

"What is defected?" asked a girl.

Bryan did not know what to say. Was he to tell the children before everyone else? No, he would be better off telling everyone else.

"Cloten, kids, gather everyone to the center of town. I will make the announcement there." And so it was that everyone was gathered to the center of town. Standing on pedestal, Bryan stared at the faces of everyone before him. Now, they would know who the enemy of the people was. "Compeers, aunts, thanes and all those who are the nearest we should have all seen this day coming but not this soon. Christopher the Backstabber has turned to my cousin's side. He believes that every man is his to slay, that every woman is his to defile, that every child is his to make an orphan out of! He is not merely the enemy to the citizens of the Ontarian Empire but the enemy to all people! Will we stand idle while this hostile mob in human skin makes sport of us killing our men, defiling our women and making orphans of our children?"

A great shout rose up as all answered in unison with "NO!"

"Then this day I name Christopher the Backstabber outlaw! Let him be hunted by all who his for their fellow people! His days are numbered!"

(-)

Sitting upon the Redstone Throne, Thomas stared at Chris standing before. To Thomas' left stood his mother and Turgot. To his right stood Eustace and Vipont. With a coin in hand, Thomas stood up and walked over to Chris. Handing the coin to the Backstabber, the Traitor laughed a laugh most evil.

"So, you have come to join us." Laughed Thomas. "For what? What reason could cause you to turn from my cousin?"

"All men were born to die at my hand, all women were born to be defiled by me, all children exist to be made orphans by my hand." Explained Chris. "Under your cousin I have no freedom to do what I wish."

"And under me you will?"

Chris nodded. "Exactly! You care nothing about the people! All you care about is your own pocket and your devotion to the Ender Dragon! Make me your right arm and the people will fear you even more than they already do! Make me your right arm and they will hate you even more than they already do!"

Thomas burst out laughing. Long and hard did he laugh. When he finished laughing there were tears coming from his eyes. "I should have met you long ago! What a man you are! I will make you my right arm!" Upon hearing that, Turgot's eyes widened. He was being replaced by the Backstabber? "Christopher, henceforth you shall be known as Christopher the Destroyer! Long may the people fear and hate you! Long may you kill men! Long may you defile women! Long may you make orphans out of children! Your service to me begins this day!" Once more laughing, Thomas turned to take his seat upon the Redstone Throne only to stop laughing and a look of fear to be upon his face. This time he alone did not see it as well. This time all present saw it as well.

Sitting upon the Redstone Throne was the apparition of Martin the Great. Those next to the throne backed away in horror while Thomas and Chris stood like trees rooted to the spot.

"ACKNOWLEDGE ME, PAYNIMS AND MAGES AND BLAZES OF CRIME! ALL YOUR ABOMINABLE ACCOMPLISHMENTS ARE BYGONE FOR A BLESSED ATTEMPT IS DIRECTLY TO COMMENCE, AND WHEN ALL IS DONE DECENCY SHALL SUCCEED!" The apparition turned its head to look upon Turgot. Immediately, Turgot fell upon his knees. "ONCE YOU WERE A MAN OF HONOR! ONCE MORE YOU CAN BE SUCH AND MAY ESCAPE THE HORRIBLR FATE THAT AWAITS ALL VILLAINS!"

"How?" asked Turgot eager to know the answer. "How might I escape a blackguard's expiry?"

"LEAVE THE ORDER OF THE CREEPER!"

"That day shall never come!" exclaimed Turgot in a rage, standing before his feet and drawing his iron sword. "Just as the tree shall never lift his earthbound roots never shall I leave the Order of the Creeper!"

"THERE IS MORE THAN ONE WAY TO LEAVE THE ORDER! PERHAPS ONE DAY YOU SHALL SEE IT!" No longer did the apparition look upon Turgot but now did he look upon Eustace. "WITH YOU MY SON SYMPATHIZES! PERHAPS ONE DAY YOU MAY BE THE ONE WHO ALONE SURVIVES THIS!"

"If that day does come, O glorious founding emperor, then truly there is a Notch in Elysium." Said Eustace, feeling more hopeful than Turgot was.

Then did the apparition look upon Vipont. "FOR YOU THERE IS NO REDEMPTION! WHEN YOU DIE YOU SHALL JOIN THE FORCES OF THE NETHER WHO ARE EVEN NOW AMASSING TO INVADE OUR EMPIRE!"

"What care I where I end up?" asked Vipont. "If I end up among the future invaders then so be it!" Thus did a threat fall on deaf ears!

Now turning his head to look at his sister Joanne, the apparition did glare. "YOU I SHOULD FEEL NO HATE FOR! YET, MOST EVIL SISTER OF MINE, I DO! HOW LONG DID YOUR THAUMATURGY CAUSE OUR FATHER GRIEF? HOW LONG DID IT CAUSE ME GRIEF? WHY DID YOU HATE US SO? YOU ARE A WORSE PYTHONESS THAN ANY WITCH YOU DWELLS IN THE OVERWORLD!"

"Have you anything else to say to me that is not scolding?" asked Joanne in a bored tone.

"BEWARE THE DRAGON."

"I worship the Ender Dragon just as my son, your nephew and successor does." Answered Joanne. "What need I to fear of her?"

"THIS DRAGON DOES NOT HAIL FROM THE END. THIS DRAGON IS ONE WHO WILL SHALL NOT BE BROKEN."

"You speak of your son!" realized Joanne. "All men can be broken and I will break him. He has not the will to defeat me!"

"SO LET IT BE WRITTEN!" The apparition then looked upon Chris. "YOU! YOU WHO WERE ONCE FRIENDS WITH MY SON! COULD YOU HAVE FALLEN SO LOW AS TO BECOME ONE OBSESSED WITH KILLING MEN, DEFILING WOMEN AND MAKING ORPHANS OUT OF CHILDREN?"

Chris gave a nervous shrug. "I found my path."

"YOU HAVE FOUND THE PATH TO DAMNATION!"

"Damnation!" scoffed Chris. "Ha! An old wives' tale to keep people weak! I do not fear old wives' tales."

"FOOL THAT YOU ARE AND A FOOL YOU SHALL DIE!" Finally the apparition of Martin the Great; founder of the Ontarian Empire, father of Bryan Croi-Dragon, husband of Margaret Neill, son of Thomas Carthach and Marlene of the Conqueror's blood, brother of Joanne, brother-in-law of Laurier the Laurencian, uncle and predecessor of Thomas the Traitor and his late sister Holly, turned his gaze onto that of his villainous nephew. "BEWARE OF MY SON, BEWARE THE RIGHTFUL HEIR TO THE REDSTONE THRONE!"

"I beware of no one!" countered Thomas. "Your son will die!"

"BE SANGUINARY, TEMERARIOUS AND PERTINACIOUS FOR NONE OF HUMAN HEART SHALL HARM YOU!"

"Then your son may live. I shall merely drive him out, imprison him or some such thing but I shall make assurance double sure your son shall not live!"

"YOU SHALL NEVER VAINQUISHED BE UNTIL GREAT EASTDALE WOOD TO HIGH DESMOND HILL SHALL COME AGAINST YOU!"

"That will never be! I am invincible! I cannot be defeated! My victory in this war is assured! Yet I must as you, Great Apparition, with your new found knowledge will your son's issue ever reign in this empire?"

The apparition stood and before him then stood Bryan's likeness with crown upon his head. After Bryan another appeared and another and another until there was a whole line leading to the throne room's entrance. Then did the line vanish and once more one with a resemblance to Bryan stand before Thomas, this time he bore a mirror. In the mirror was another with a resemblance to Bryan also holding a mirror and in that mirror was another with a resemblance to Bryan holding a mirror and so on and so forth!

There was no truth in the apparition's words and actions but in life Martin the Great had been most excellent at mind games. Thus in death did he once more play mind games, this time with his murderer, his mother and his compatriots. The only truth was the threat of the Nether's invasion.

When the images did vanish, Thomas did turn to Chris. With a smile did Chris nod and leave the throne room.

(-)

In Yak, Bryan did instruct all present on Chris' fighting style. There was no rhyme or reason to how Chris fought. In fact, there only thing that was constant was his love for attacking someone when their back was turned.

"Now fighting him on your own could very much get you killed!" stated Bryan. "There is strength in numbers so having him outnumbered would be the easiest way to defeat him." Turning his head to look at Aphrodite, Bryan motioned for her to leave. "I'd rather you not be involved in the fighting of Chris."

"Chris is a threat to everyone, Bryan." Replied Aphrodite. "I will stay and learn."

Bryan could only smile. Such a spirit!

The sound of hooves caused everyone to go and see who had come. It was Chris and his eyes were on Bryan.

"Feeling suicidal are we?" asked Bryan. "You are outnumbered!"

"I'll take my chances!" replied Chris. "I will kill you and then your issue will never reign in this empire!"

"What are you talking about?" asked Bryan. "I am not married, I have no children!"

"Something you will never know." Replied Chris, dismounting and stepping forward. Everyone began to step forward until Cloten cried out.

"Hold!" With a carrot on a stick in hand, Cloten stepped between Chris and the group. "I challenge, Christopher the Backstabber!"

"Christopher the Destroyer!" corrected Chris.

"That is something you will never be called by us." Countered Cloten. "I challenge you, betrayer! You have betrayed my friend and master and have made yourself an enemy of all the world! I challenge you!"

"Do you have a death wish, jester?"

"Neither of us shall die." Commented Cloten, swinging the carrot around. "But when it's all done you shall be abased."

"Big talk but I accept the challenge." With a sword in hand, Chris attacked. "Now look your last upon the sun!"

Cloten did not move. He merely swung his carrot and watched as it hit Chris right in the nose so hard it caused blood to flow. This alone caused Chris to pause for a second but that second was all that Cloten needed. Once more did Cloten bring the carrot swinging at Chris, this time across his face! Again! And again! And again! With each attack from Cloten, Chris was forced backing away. Then did Cloten hit Chris' sword hand with such a force that Chris let go of the sword. Kneeling to get his sword, the Backstabber found the jester's foot upon it and thus did Cloten chase Chris out of town. He did this not with a sword but with a carrot on a stick.

Laughing and cheering, the people congratulated Cloten. Jack gave Cloten a pat on the back and Bryan placed a hand on his squire' shoulder.

"Care to join me on my next adventure, Cloten?" he asked.

"Bryan, I would not miss it for the world!"

(-)

"You were humiliated… BY A JESTER?"

Having returned to the capital without Bryan's head, Chris had been forced to tell of his humiliation. Naturally, Thomas was not pleased to hear of this.

"It's not how it sounds." Said Chris with his hands raised in defense.

"It is exactly how it sounds, Backstabber." Commented Turgot with a dull tone.

"It is worse than it sounds!" raged Thomas. "By having Cloten humiliate you, he has humiliated me by extension! I made you my right arm and sent you to kill my cousin and you come back to me having been beaten by a jester wielding a carrot on a stick! Do you have any idea how bad this sounds? People will be mocking my name all over the Overworld because of this!"

"Your name?" asked Chris. "What about my nose? I think that creeper-faced fool broke it!"

"Don't you start using 'creeper-faced' as an insult!" yelled Turgot.

"I am Christopher the Destroyer! I do as I wish!"

"Not as long as an anarchist of the Order of the creeper is present!"

Thus did a brawl erupt between Turgot and Chris! Eustace watched, highly amused while Vipont laughed.

And Thomas? He could only wonder what he had done to deserve these four.


	31. A Farmer's Life

**Welcome back everyone. I'm going to put the romance story arcs on hold while I develop some of the characters such as Cloten, Aphrodite and Jack. Enjoy and review.**

 **A Farmer's Life**

The following day, Bryan watched as Jack did farm work. Be it planting or pulling crops or milking cows or shearing sheep Jack did them.

"Never would have taken you for a farmer." Commented Bryan.

"I wasn't exactly when we met." Stated Jack. "I used to own a farm but then some of Thomas' men burned it down the day your father was murdered."

"So it's a famer's life for you."

"The life of the farm is the life for me."

Bryan laughed. "That it is. I don't know what I'd do when not leading. When my father wasn't leading he was usually teaching people how to fight."

"Did he teach Thomas?" asked Jack.

"No." Bryan looked away while Jack milked a Mooshroom. "How tragic that would have been. Slain not just by his nephew but by a student of his as well."

Jack went silent for a bit. Where did he go from there? After asking something that had it have been true would have been tragic.

"So, what is between you and Aphrodite?" asked Jack.

"What?" asked Bryan, confused by this sudden change of subject.

"Is she your girlfriend?"

"No, she's a girl and my friend but she is not my girlfriend." Jack laughed a bit. He hadn't touched a nerve but it was just something in Bryan's voice. "What's so funny?"

"Oh, nothing. Just a silly idea hit me." Replied Jack, happy that Bryan could not see his face while standing behind the fence. "So how long have you known her?"

"We've known each other our whole lives." Replied Bryan. "We were born the same year, she a couple of months after me. Her father was my father's chamberlain so it was only natural that we'd know each other."

"How much older are you than Thomas?" asked Jack.

"What does that have to do with anything?"

"Just trying to figure out when Thomas would have appeared on the scene."

"I'm older than Thomas by three years."

"Okay then, so he probably would not have appeared on the scene until you were eight years old."

"You'd be winning that wager, Jack."

"Was he always so… Violent?"

"Surprisingly he was more violent as a kid and would attack for no reason." Stated Bryan. "He's actually calmer, if you can call what he is calm at all."

"I'd say that is a philosophical matter." Commented Jack.

"Do you want to talk philosophy?" asked Bryan.

"No! I hate philosophy." Replied Jack.

"Why?"

"Why are you suddenly the one asking the questions?" asked Jack.

"Free will." Replied Bryan and that indeed was the greatest answer to such a question. "Have you ever wondered why sheep have such human like faces? Is it because in their own way, they are people too and we are gods or monsters depending on how we treat them?"

What Bryan said caused Jack to turn around and face the rightful heir. What kind of talk was that? Philosophical talk? That was crazy talk! That was what it was!

"Sheep are people too in their own way?" asked Jack, trying to figure out what Bryan was saying. Turning to look at the next pen where the sheep were, Jack noticed one staring out at him and indeed the face did look rather human-like. It was kind of creepy actually! "Maybe Notch made their faces human-like in order to haunt us when we kill them for mutton!"

"Or maybe their faces are like that as a means for Notch to make a commentary on people who do not think for themselves." Suggested Bryan. "For if one does not think for themselves are they not sheep themselves?"

Jack nodded. There was truth in that. How long until he could not tell the difference between sheep and some people?


	32. The Subject of Cloten

**Welcome back every. Enjoy and review.**

 **The Subject of Cloten**

"How long have you know Cloten?" asked Jack to Bryan. The former was currently engaged in a staring contest with a sheep of all things. He was now viewing the sheep as something creepy with their human-like faces but just would not look away. He was the farmer! He was the master! He would not lose!

"My whole life." Replied Bryan. "Cloten is thirty-six years old, my elder by seventeen years, he's been a jester for twenty-five years and was the apprentice of his own father."

"What was his name?" asked Jack. "Cloten's father, I mean."

"Autolycus." Replied Bryan. "From what I heard he was a riot."

"I've heard of him!" exclaimed Jack. "I heard he poured a pail of milk onto the head of your father's predecessor as King of Oshawood. What was the reason for that?"

"Apparently Auto just felt like it!" Stated Bryan. "Cloten has never done anything like that."

"Maybe he has and you just weren't paying attention." Suggested Jack. "Or you may not have been present. Did Cloten always want to be a jester?"

"He says he could have been a surgeon because he likes to take things apart." Bryan shuddered. That was a gruesome thought. "I think he may have been joking. I pray to Notch he was joking. He also says that he could have been a barrister but he just has too much compassion. He says he could have been in diplomacy because he's always been a big spender but he says most all he could have been a contender."

"Cloten had an interest in boxing?" asked Jack incredulously.

"Apparently." Replied Bryan. "I would have liked to see him box Chris."

Jack burst out laughing. The jester turned squire boxing with the Backstabber. That was a highly amusing thought.


	33. Captured

**Welcome back everyone. As of yesterday, I have decided to firmly establish who the "demonic ancestor" of the Carthach family is. No more which or none. And thus shall I reveal who that demonic ancestor is in this chapter. Also, I now have a Youtube account: BryanCroiDragon. It is really just me playing Minecraft on Vox Populi, the server made famous by Markiplier, so check it out if you're interested. Also, when I was kid my grandma had a golden retriever named Jessie. When I was ten, her hind legs gave out and when I saw her in the state she was in, well that's how the children feel when they see Fricka in this chapter. Writing this brought me to the verge of tears. Enjoy and review.**

 **Captured**

Aphrodite walked along a forest path with Fricka. The wolf knew the chamberlain's daughter well she had known everyone in the capital for that is where her master Bryan Croi-Dragon had lived. Aphrodite knew Fricka well too. She had been good friends with the crown prince, still was but never could she have acted on deeper feelings.

While Wotan stayed near Bryan, Fricka stayed close to Aphrodite. That had always been the case, save for when Bryan went hunting thus did Wotan and Fricka run together as they chased their quarry.

Ever was the threat of the Ender Dragon being released on the Overworld becoming closer! Everyday Thomas the Traitor, never was there anyone more worthy of such a title, sacrificed men women and children to that monstrous beast whom who he claimed descent from.

Claimed? No, no. Not claimed. Those descended from the House of Carthach were descended from the Ender Dragon! Not long after Cloten's humiliation of Chris the apparition of Martin the Great did appear. No longer restricted to only knowing what he had learned of while he lived, the great apparition had learned that the House of Carthach was indeed descended from the Ender Dragon and thus did he reveal it to all the world and soon news spread. News spread that Bryan Croi-Dragon, the Dragon-Heart, fought against his traitorous kinsmen and the evil monster they were descended from! So it was, that even more did people flock to the rightful heir. In towns across the Ontarian Empire the banner of the House of Carthach was placed upon the roofs of buildings!

In so short a day did that happen that Thomas was driven into a fuming rage and he fumed such a fume that one could see fire coming from his nose! With banners of the House of Carthach still upon the Redstone Throne, Thomas drew his sword and hacked them apart. Soon his banners would upon them! Soon he would be the undisputed tyrannical Ontarian Emperor! All those beneath him would fear and hate him! After he died he would be elevated to a legacy of that of a demon and that would most please him!

When the rage passed, Thomas sheathed his sword but did not even bother to regain his composure. Other blackguards may have bothered to put on an air of friendliness but not him.

"Mother! Where are you? You are never around when I need you?" If Joanne wasn't his mother he'd kill her himself. On second thought he would do just that after his coronation.

"Something vexes thee?" Thomas turned and in the doorway to the throne room stood his mother Joanne the Pythoness.

"Vexes?" asked Thomas in turn. "Vexes? Nothing vexes me! Something pains me! All the banners of the House of Carthach across my empire pains me! I am the Ontarian Emperor! Why has my own banner not been set upon the Redstone Throne? Why is it no one has placed my banner upon their roofs?"

"There is many answers to that." Stated Joanne. "However the most obvious one is that you have no banner."

"And why not?" asked Thomas.

"The banner of the House of Carthach is derived from the design on the tunic of the chiefs of that house which those loyal to them have taken up now." Joanne pointed at Thomas, at his tunic specifically. "The design on your own tunic however is not recognized by the International Committee of Banner Makers."

"And why not?" asked Thomas again.

"Because it was originally taken up by a terrorist who sought the destruction of the entire Overworld." Replied Joanne.

"Ah… Yes… They have a point." Said Thomas. "And whatever happened to this terrorist?"

"He was killed by his own TNT. It was not enough to destroy the Overworld but it was enough to destroy this castle." Stated Joanne. "However, I must say I have some advice for you."

"And that would be?"

"I have found a solution to the problem of Bryan's issue reigning in this empire. Even if you kill him the possibility of him having a posthumous son is not unlikely."

"But Bryan is not married." Commented Thomas.

"No but he and Aphrodite have always been close." Stated Joanne. "How long until they become closer? How long until they marry?"

"What are you suggesting?" asked Thomas. "Kill her? I need issue myself if you haven't forgotten!"

"And that is why I have sent Chris to capture her, Thomas." Replied Joanne. "You need a bride and her marriage to you need not be of her own free will."

"Ah, enchantment!" exclaimed Thomas. "A very good idea! I may have been thinking of a different way though. If she were to marry my cousin I would kill her husband as well just as I killed her father. The only way to make her amends would be to become her husband and her father."

"You are not old enough to be both." Stated Joanne laughing a most sinister laugh that only a Pythoness, a witch or whatever you make call them could laugh. "And besides, I have something else in mind."

"If not an enchantment then what?"

"I have discovered the ingredients for the Potion of the Homicide!"

"I want a bride not an assassin!" Joanne slapped Thomas across the face. His idiocy was annoying, even for her. "That is my face you have slapped, crone!"

"Be silent, whelp! Be silent and listen to what I have to say! The potion can put a person under such a trance that it can last for days! I may be able to improve upon it to make it last a lifetime! Even more having a marriage ceremony that Bryan will try to stop be a trap for your cousin can kill two pigs with one sword."

"Ah… A connubial defilement authorization and my cousin sent to meet my uncle!" exclaimed Thomas who then chuckled. "Delightful! This plan has merit."

Thus did both mother and son laugh together! A Pythoness and a Traitor. Who could have made such a match for mother and son save for some great demon?

Some villains had standards. Not these two.

(-)

The sound of hooves running across the forest path was not the kind of sound that could go unnoticed. Aphrodite and Fricka turned and saw Christopher the Backstabber, never would anyone for the House of Carthach call this beast in a human skin the title of Destroyer.

Growling, Fricka ran at the horse whom reared only to be pushed forward by its most monstrous rider! Over noble Fricka, evil hearted Chris did ride.

Aphrodite tried to run. She could not face a mounted opponent. Alas, running from a mounted pursuer proved to be just as great an idea as facing a mounted opponent would have been. With an arm about her waist did Chris take Aphrodite.

"The queen mother has found a most fitting place for you." Hissed Chris as he rode away with his captive. "In her son's bedchamber!"

"Her son is fit for no place but in some foul dungeon!" countered Aphrodite. There was much truth in this but one could think of an even better place for Thomas the Traitor. No, no, not a foul dungeon. In the Nether itself!

To say that being rode over had killed Fricka would be untrue. That noble breed of wolf that she and her mate Wotan were of were indeed a strong breed. However it would also be untrue to say that Fricka was uninjured. No matter how strong a breed of wolf she was, Fricka was not invulnerable. Thus did she return to Yak, limping and whimpering in pain! When she did return, Fricka was object of the attention of all those who passed.

The children, who loved the wolves greatly, found themselves to be in as much pain as Fricka was. Ever since Bryan Croi-Dragon had come to Yak always these great wolves had come to be the protectors of the children and the farm animals both. Once the anarchists had returned to revenge their broken banner with intentions of killing a group of children but Wotan and Fricka had come chasing them away! But here was Fricka now. She was injured, limping and whimpering in pain. Was such a thing really possible?

To Bryan the boy the Dragon-Heart had saved from Turgot that day ran! Thus did the boy find Bryan speaking with Jack, Wotan by his side.

"Bryan!" The boy called. "Come quick! It's Fricka!"

"What about Fricka?" asked Bryan in alarm!

"She is hurt and has returned without Aphrodite!"

Quickly did Bryan and Wotan follow that little square faced boy! When he saw Fricka, his poor Fricka, Bryan fell to his knees and wrapped his arms around her. Wotan licked the side of his mate's face and when she looked at him, he knew she would live.

"Oh, Fricka…" moaned Bryan. "Who has done this to you? Where is Aphrodite?" Turning her head to the direction she had come from, Fricka moved from Bryan's arms and limped away causing Bryan and Wotan to follow her. Yet as Bryan took a few steps he paused. "Fricka!" The she-wolf turned and looked at her master. "Stay here, rest. Wotan and I shall rescue Aphrodite."

"Not on your own your not!" exclaimed Cloten, coming out of a blacksmiths workshop. "I'm coming with you! What's a knight without his squire?"

"Stay here, Cloten, it could be dangerous." Said Bryan.

"So are you when you fight!" laughed Cloten. "You don't really I'm going to let you go alone now do you? This son of a former horse thief has more than a few tricks up his sleeve!"

"If Cloten is coming then I'm coming too!" added Jack. "You are my friend and I will fight by your side! Besides, if she has been taken by Thomas' goons… Well, lets just say I'm not going to let those brutes run freely and abduct innocent girls. What are we waiting for? We have a ninety-ten chance of success, the entire empire at your back while your cousin has the entire empire at his throat, those sounds like pretty good odds to me!"

"Jack, you're a farmer not a fighter." Commented Bryan. "Leave this to me and Cloten."

"Can those of the House of Carthach and their followers fight, Bryan?" asked Jack.

This question only caused Bryan to smile. Drawing his sword, Bryan brought it to the sky and gave his answer. "All day and through the night!"

"Hah! You proud, reckless, violent boy!" came a voice. "You are no better than your cousin! The only good descendant of the Ender Dragon is a dead one!"

"What's this?" asked Bryan. "Who speaks to me now?"

An old man came from the crowd, his eyes red as blood. "We were better off under your father, your great father, your illustrious father! Putting you on the Redstone Throne would be as disastrous as keeping your cousin on it!"

"You praise my father yet you say the only good descendant of the Ender Dragon is a dead one." Stated Bryan. "You contradict yourself. What good is a critic if they contradict themselves?"

The old man went silent. A critic he was but he had not thought this through. "I wish you victory on your mission then but I wish it to be a bittersweet one so none might praise you ever again."

"Old man, I may be proud, reckless, violent and sensual but you would do good to remember that my father and I fought against the Arctic Deep Empire to defend all of our subjects, yourself included. You come across as ungrateful." The old man growled then walked away. Turning to the little square faced boy's father, Bryan asked a question he wished to know. "Who was that?"

"Ryva, he is old and mad. I wouldn't take anything he says as truthful. He has always been ungrateful. Not just to you but to the people of this town who built him his house."


	34. Spiteful Things

**Welcome back everyone. Enjoy and review.**

 **Spiteful Things**

"The following conversation happened in the bedchamber of Arbarta Turgot and Eustace of Whitby." Read one of Thomas' spies from a sheet of paper to his lord and master as they walked through the castle's garden. Once it had been a place of life and beauty but now it was a place of death and desolation under Thomas' rule. "Turgot: If not for that Backstabber I'd still be Thomas' right hand."

"I don't want to hear of this. The plotting of my underlings against one another bores me." Said Thomas. "I only wish to know if they are threat to me. I have no interest if they are a threat to one of their comrades."

"Yes, milord." Said the spy.

"Get ye gone." Ordered Thomas. "My bride will soon by arriving and I do enjoy being a thorn in my cousin's side. In my time prior to taking the Redstone Throne I have insulted him, broken his father my uncle's sword, clubbed him to the ground and laid violent hands upon Aphrodite." Thomas laughed. "Oh, yes. My soul has been corrupted and I shall not inherit the Kingdom of Notch and I am most happy because of this!" The spy was still standing there, staring at his lord and master with wide eyes. "Are you still here? Go!"

"Yes, sir!" And with that the spy left.

To Thomas it was best that no one recognized any Ontarian Emperor save for him. If he were to kill Bryan before he could father an heir by blood whom would the heir by choice be? Not Cloten surely! Whatever the case, any type of heir to Bryan Croi-Dragon would make Thomas most angry.

Soon Chris arrived dragging Aphrodite into the garden. The former had scratch marks upon his face.

"My bride has made an improvement of your face, Chris." Complimented Thomas.

"Yes, she has hasn't she?" asked Chris in agreement.

"Your bride?" asked Aphrodite in shock. "I would never be a bride to one such as you!"

"You must be hungry." Said Thomas. "May I offer you some chicken?"

"I do not like chicken nor spiteful things like you!" replied Aphrodite. Thomas could only smile. She had called him spiteful. He did like to be called spiteful.

"No but I do like you. Were you to be married to me by force you could bite, scratch and kick me to my heart's delight! You will be married to me by force but it will not be in a way that will allow any biting, scratching or kicking. I will be able to defile you to my heart's delight just as I defile the empire that my uncle has founded."

"If you think your enemies will allow this you are sorely mistaken." Commented Aphrodite.

"I have no enemies. The Ontarian Empire has adversaries." Stated Thomas. "Oh, who am I kidding? I have enemies and I love having enemies. They are people who hate me and I love to be hated! I was created to be feared and hated!"

"Then I will not ask for your forgiveness that I only hate you."

"But you do hate me!"

"As much as I can the person who had my father sacrificed to the Ender Dragon."

Thomas could only laugh. He was quite a piece of work, a piece of work that needed to be destroyed.

(-)

Wotan had followed the trail leading Bryan, Cloten and Jack to the very capital of all the Ontarian Empire itself. So this was what had happened. Aphrodite had been brought to the Netherbrick castle itself. For what reason could Thomas have wanted her? Did he intend to try and burn her at the stake again?

"Who do you suppose he sent to abduct her?" asked Jack. "Turgot? Eustace? Vipont? Chris?"

"Given the amount of blood we saw on the way here I would say Chris." Replied Bryan. "Only one villain in all the Overworld could cause that much struggling."

"So how do we exactly get in there?" asked Cloten. "Surely Thomas would not have kept all of the staff!" Cloten began laughing until Bryan and Jack both stared at him. Turning his head, no longer laughing Cloten stared back in bewilderment. "How could anyone be so stupid?"

"Have you met my cousin?" asked Bryan. "He loves to be feared and hated. No doubt keeping the staff who hates him more than death itself make him happy."

"He is an odd fellow." Commented Jack.

"Yes, he is." Agreed Bryan. "But I suppose we all are in our own ways."

"Alright, so Thomas probably did not get rid of the staff." Said Cloten. "What is the plan? Go in through the kitchen door? Get disguises then rescue Aphrodite?"

"Cloten, you are an absolute genius!" complimented Bryan.

"I beg your pardon?" asked Cloten.

"Go in through the kitchen door, get disguises then rescue Aphrodite!" replied Bryan.

"That wasn't a plan those were questions." Stated Cloten.

"But you gave a plan nonetheless." Commented Jack.

"We need to get through the gate first." Said Cloten.

"I know a way that does not involve a gate." Stated Bryan. "This castle was based off of plans of an un-built castle that my ancestor the Conqueror intended to built. It is a complete fortress that comes with secret passages."

"Have you seen these plans?" asked Jack.

"My dad showed me them many times. I know them like the back of my hand."

"Alright, then tell us." Said Cloten.

"I have a scar on my right hand and a freckle on my left hand."

"Don't tell us your hands! Tell us where the nearest entrance to a secret passage is!"

"Oh, right over there." Bryan pointed at a nearby well.

Cloten and Jack could only both stare at the well. That was the entrance to a secret passage?

"Do we have to swim?" asked Cloten.

"Naturally." Replied Bryan.

"How long is the passage?" asked Jack.

"The underwater part is only about five feet long." Stated Bryan. "We will not be drowning."

"You might not…" began Cloten. "But I swim like a fish with no fins or tail! I'll surely drown! Is there another way?"

"Behind the bushes by the eastern wall." Stated Bryan. Thus did all three have a way in. Wotan could go in through the gate for what was so odd about a tame wolf coming and going?


	35. Through the Well

**Welcome back everyone. Proteus comes from the sewer dungeon of the Vox Populi server. Enjoy and review.**

 **Through the Well**

Into the well Bryan and Jack jumped. Down they swam but had they known of the beast that had found its way into the well.

Proteus! The vile demon in squid form that had long ago been driven from a sewer beneath a great city far from the Ontarian Empire! So did he find a home in the secret passage and long did he wait until he had healed from the wounds he had gained by those who had driven him out. He would return to take his revenge but for now he would wait.

Then came a farmer and the Dragon-Heart. Long had Proteus longed to once more feast upon human flesh. In the sewer he had called home many had come to slay him but it was not until a great many heroes and demigods came was he forced out.

Out from a dark corner did Proteus come! With tentacles outstretched did he attack but the sound of him going through the water was such a sound that Bryan quickly turned his head and quickly found the dark arms of the demon around his body, crushing him.

Drawing his sword, Jack attacked Proteus. Hacking at the tentacles but taking enough care not to harm Bryan did Jack fight against the underwater demon!

Once free of Proteus' grip, Bryan too drew his sword and thus the two drove the demon squid back into his dark corner. Proteus would not die that day but one day he would and there would be much rejoicing but that is a tale that may or may not be told.

Surfacing, Bryan fell back against the tunnel's wall while Jack sheathed his sword. The look of shock on Bryan's face was enough to cause alarm in Jack.

"You alright?" asked Jack.

"I'll live." Replied Bryan as he looked back into the water. "What is a monster like that doing down there? How did it get down there? Since when are squids hostile?"

"Questions for another time eh, Bry?"

Bryan nodded in agreement. "Right, questions for another time."

"Do you need to catch your breath?"

"Give me a minute." Groaned Bryan. "That was not in there the last time I used that entrance."

"How long ago was that?" asked Jack.

"Three years next week." Replied Bryan. Jack placed a hand on his chin. Three years next week he said? Then when could that monster have possibly have arrived between that time? "Okay, that's enough. I'm ready to continue." Bryan prepared to sheath his sword but paused. No, no… That would be unwise. Should he meet one of Thomas' soldiers then he would need this.

"How far to the kitchen?" asked Jack. "This is my first time being here."

"It's my first time being here since Thomas murdered my father. Who knows what renovations he's done."

"Do you think he would?"

"He'd probably change the throne room to something a bit more to his liking." Stated Bryan.

"And that would be?"

"How should I know? My cousin's mind is in truth only mostly known to me. I don't know what his architectural preferences are."

"Does he even know anything about architecture?" asked Jack rhetorically.

Bryan laughed quietly. Given Thomas' knowledge about how to properly govern his knowledge about things such as architecture was probably equally if not even more lacking. The only thing Thomas knew anything about was making people fear and hate him! He was a natural at it. However one would find that the architecture style that Thomas preferred was none other than the Fascist style. Fitting wasn't it for a villain such as he?

"Lets go." Said Bryan, motioning for Jack to follow him. "We need to join up with Cloten and then rescue Aphrodite."

"Where does the passage Cloten took lead to?" asked Jack.

"The wine cellar." Replied Bryan. "However if I know my cousin, he'll probably have renovated it into either a dungeon or a torture chamber."

"I'm putting my money on torture chamber." Commented Jack.

"I'll put mine on dungeon." Stated Bryan.

A fine rescue mission this was turning into. Bryan and Jack were betting what Thomas had turned the wine cellar into.


End file.
